The Heart's Filthy Lesson
by TheEndsongAbyssXV
Summary: Sequel to "A Dark Past, A Welcome Future". The darkness that had consumed Sumiko's childhood was leaking into the shining new life she'd made for herself. But this time, the darkness isn't coming for her; it's coming for Law. (Rating may go up as story progresses.)
1. After the nightmares

Sumiko knew the dream had come to her, because she was happy in it. The nightmare always started out the same; her in a state of bliss. She was wholly happy, utterly complete, a puzzle that had been solved. Then the gun went off, and a scream sliced through the air as sure as if it were a solid and red blood blossomed across the front of her shirt. Pain hit her like she'd been torn into by bomb shrapnel, like she'd been doused in gasoline and matched up, like her skin was taken off in strips...Oh, God, she was dying. No one lived through this kind of agony. She fell to her knees and then-

Sumiko shot off of her mattress like she'd been bootlicked in the head.

Her bedroom's navy walls closed in on her, and she ran for the door, opening it and then standing in the hallway of the castle. Her heart was beating too fast and she felt a sudden chill that made her break out in a cold sweat.

She needed a drink..._now_.

Sumiko made her way across the thick red carpet that lined the hall, and before she reached the grand staircase, she peered down at the doors to her siblings' rooms with a frown. She had no doubt that they were curled up with their mates, and the thought that she was sleeping alone made her heart clench.

Fuck.

Memories flooded her mind, and she reminisced on the time she'd spent with the Heart crew. She winced and felt the sorrow and glared at the painting that covered the walls. She couldn't see the colors anymore. She couldn't feel emotions anymore. After she'd left the crew to return home, her feelings had dried up, and she knew it was because she'd been separated from the one thing that made her feel as though her life had meaning, the one person who made her want to give life another chance. She shook her head as an image of Trafalgar Law popped into her frontal lobe and she snarled silently.

She _really_ needed a drink.

Scattering her molecules, she took place in the kitchen and jerked the stainless steel fridge open and grabbed the clear bottle from the back. Snatching a glass from the wet bar, she filled four inches of FireWater and downed it. As the cinnamon liquor burned a path from her esophagus to her stomach, she let her thoughts wander again.

Law didn't belong in her world.

He shouldn't even know about it, but the bonded female in her rose fast and hard, countering the denials. Who gave a damn if he was human? Half of the Brotherhood's mates were human, and her brother Mikhail had claimed a human as his own a few years ago, so why couldn't she-?

_Because he may not accept you anymore, __said a small voice in the back of her mind. ___

Sumiko felt anguish rise up and she groaned. When she'd returned, her powers had been stripped. She could no longer summon or manipulate fire, or shift. The Scribe Virgin had taken everything from her and had given her a full body restoration, which she was partially grateful for, since her body had been healed of any injury, including every rape. Her state of virginity was returned, and she was cleansed.

But cursed. The Scribe Virgin never gave something without taking something in return, so Sumiko lost her element and gained a new power because she'd gotten in a fight with a member of one of the aristocracy members during a ceremony gala and had ended up killing a barn owl, the Scribe Virgin's sacred symbol. It had been an accident, but it had finally tipped the scales and could not go unpunished. (Sumiko had gotten into fights upon returning from the pirating world, and had caused a bit of trouble among the nobles and aristocrats.)

Sumiko felt a hum go through her and she groaned, trying to hold back the surge of energy that coursed through her. There were three ways to control her new power: Sexual release (which was so not happening) fighting or completing the bonding ritual between a Carpathian and its mate.

Sumiko downed another 4 inches of liquor.

Dimly she heard the ornate grandfather clock strike 3 o'clock in the morning, and almost immediately afterward, she heard muffled voices and laughter. A group of males walked into the kitchen, trailing dirt, blood, and what appeared to be black oil on the white marble floor.

The light flicked on, and a few males gasped as Sumiko was revealed.

"Geez, printessa, what are you doin', lyin' in for us or somethin'?" Sumiko looked at Kieran, and her cousin came into view, his black hair pulled into a loose ponytail at the base of his neck. His dark brown eyes were warm and he pat her head as he walked by towards the sink. Freyr was next, followed by his brother Dominic. They were fraternal twins, and looked _nothing_ alike, except for the same light blue eyes.

"What are you doing up so late?" A voice asked, and Sumiko looked up to meet the violet gaze of Vyce, her _ahstrux nohtrum_, or personal bodyguard. He had short black hair with a small tuft of red in the front and he had a silver barbell in his eyebrow. Over his mouth was a muzzle like covering and Sumiko reached up to unhook it. It was there for a reason, but Vyce would never hurt her, because he had sworn allegiance to only her, and his pink slip was the guillotine.

As soon as the offending object was gone, Vyce's fangs were revealed. Unlike most Carpathians, who had elongated canines, some families carried animal DNA, and Vyce's father had been a member of the vampire bat strain, which gave Vyce small, serrated teeth. And the 24-year-old had no impulse control, so if he wanted to feed, he'd tear up whatever he was attached to.

Except Sumiko. He avoided hurting her more than was necessary.

Said girl examined the dark haired male and she smiled a little. "You didn't feed."

He shrugged. "I'm fine, printessa."

Sumiko frowned, "It's been almost 5 months, Vyce." When a Carpathian didn't feed on a regular schedule (usually once or twice a month), then they would grow weak and sometimes violent. Sumiko wasn't fond of it herself, and just the week before had fainted during a game of basketball with her brothers.

"I'm calling Darién, he can give me blood." Vyce told her, and he took out his cell phone.

Darién was Kieran and Vyce's brother, along with roughly 12 others that Sumiko had almost lost count of. She nicknamed most of them and kept her favorite cousins close. There was Yaya, Coco, Zsa-Zsa, Shishi, and Lulu. Yashael, Connor, Zsama, Shiva, and Luiz. Then there were the twins Trey and Troy, and then the youngest set of twins Soren and Amelie.

Sumiko sighed a bit and watched him walk away and she stared at the liquid in her glass. She knew it was red, but it looked gray. She hated not seeing in color or feeling emotion. She knew she loved her family and friends, there were echoes of feelings, but whenever she saw them, she felt nothing. She had the memories of feelings, but even those were fading.

Freyr sat beside his cousin and watched her in silence. "What are you thinking about so hard?"

Sumiko gave him a significant look and he nodded. "Ah. _That_."

Dominic leaned against the island in the center of the kitchen and took a bit of the pear in his hand. "It's obviously bothering you, so why don't you go back?"

"He _did_ say we could come back." Freyr grinned, clapping his twin on the back. "I say it's time for a little visit. It's been 2 years, cousin mine."

Sumiko nodded and stood, rushing out of the room and up the grand staircase to her room. She searched for her old backpack and grabbed things from her closet and other odds and ends before meeting Freyr in the foyer by the castle doors.

Dominic wished them well and promised to tell everyone where they'd gone, and without hesitation, the duo vanished into the night.

Eustass Kidd and Kala Bonney were sitting in one of the medical bays in the submarine, waiting for Trafalgar Law to come fix the latter pirate's injuries since neither had doctors aboard their own ships. Kala had been shot when a group of rogue pirates had attempted to overtake her ship, but luckily, Kidd and his crew were sailing with her, and their ship managed to ward off the intruders before anything to crazy happened. Kala could handle herself, but the bullet had been a surprise, and it hadn't stopped bleeding after an hour, plus the skin was turning red, which signaled an infection.

"What happened?" Trafalgar Law walked into the room with a heavy sigh, indicating that he wanted nothing to do with them. He'd been in a bad mood for the past few days and he glared at Kidd as he started to help clean the gunshot on Kala's stomach.

"She got shot, obviously." Kidd growled.

Law smirked. "Domestic abuse is a crime." Kala scowled and explained that it wasn't Kidd that did it, and she added that he wouldn't have the guts to shoot her anyway. It was a flesh wound, and simply needed to be cleaned and bandaged, but an antibiotic was needed to ease the inflammation.

"_This _is why you both need your _own_ doctors." Law said roughly, smirking at Kala's whine of pain as he dabbed antiseptic onto the wound. "It isn't that bad, is it?" Kala frowned.

Nearly half an hour later, Eustass Kidd had taken his wife away and Law wandered back to the open air, watching the two ships fade into the horizon. Shachi, Sel and Bepo were playing some game in which they'd scream random animal names and point at the clouds, and Kaz was harpooning on the other side of the sub with Penguin.

Just as Law turned to go back inside, a loud _thud_ made him turn and his charcoal eyes widened in shock as he was greeted by Freyr and Sumiko, both of whom had appeared in the middle of the small deck.

"'sup boss?" Freyr gave a cheery little wave. "Did you miss us?"

Law blinked. "Is she okay?" he motioned to Sumiko, who was quiet. Her pupils were wide and she seemed to have been stunned into silence. Freyr grinned like an idiot and nodded, waving a hand dismissively.

"She's fine; she's just…reconnecting her brain."

Law seemed a tad confused but suddenly Sumiko blinked rapidly and she beamed, her eyes lighting up and then Freyr ran to Shachi, the two men throwing their arms around each other and fake crying at their reunion.

Sumiko walked over to stand beside Law and she smiled, "Long time no see." She said. "It's been two years, seven months, a week and three days."

"Seventeen hours, forty minutes and nine seconds." Law added with a smirk. Sumiko's smile just widened.

_Oh, man,_ Sumiko thought. She blinked again as the dazzle of colors flooded her senses and a rush of emotion made her sway. The moment she'd looked at Law and heard his voice, the connection came back; he was _hers_ and that was that. She felt love, pure and undiluted, spear through her chest and she watched as the clear blue ocean lapped at the sides of the sub, and the warm rays of the sun fell on her skin.

"How have you been?" she asked, crossing her ankles. Her eyes wandered Law's frame and she noted every difference since she'd seen him last. He was taller, at least 6 feet, and his hat had changed, but he still sounded the same, looked the same. Sumiko inhaled his scent, dragging that fresh rainforest and sandalwood tone deep into her lungs and committing it to memory.

Law shrugged and stepped back as Sel tackle-hugged Freyr and Jean-Bart introduced himself. He shook his head and Sumiko rolled her eyes at her cousin.

"You've changed," Law said. Sumiko looked up at him.

"Have I."

"Yes." Law moved again as Bepo made to welcome Freyr back, after bowing to Sumiko and greeting her with a hug. "You're happier."

Sumiko flushed. _Well, yeah. _She thought. _You're here. _

"I've been healed." She said aloud. "Full body restoration." She gave her captain a significant look and he smirked.

"Every injury is healed?"

Sumiko grinned. "_Every_ single one. Inside and out."

"Except her tattoo!" Freyr laughed, and Sumiko glared. Law echoed "tattoo?" and Sumiko turned away, telling him to pull up the back of her shirt. He did so, and a colorful design was revealed: A magnificent, multicolored dragon covered her entire back. A fearsome creature with five clawed limbs and a twisting, powerful body and ice white eyes.

"Wow," was all her could say for a second. "That's really…intricate."

"I hate it." Sumiko said bitterly.

"Then why'd you get it done? Besides, you're healed." Law's gaze softened and he reached out to ruffle her hair, effectively messing up the choppy mahogany layers. "That's great."

Sumiko nodded. "Mmhm!"

As he watched Sumiko flounce off to greet the rest of the crew, Law felt that rush of affection, the one he hadn't felt since the incident at Sky Harbor.

_What the hell is wrong with me? _He wondered.

After the reunion, the Heart's crew decided to celebrate, and Kaz broke out his liquor cabinet while Shachi and Penguin danced around, singing (badly) at the top of their lungs. Sel had a great voice, and Freyr was singing a song in his native tongue that had Sumiko in tears she was laughing so hard. She'd throw out a line or two and then have another giggle fit.

"What's he saying?" Bepo asked, voicing the silent question Law was thinking. Sumiko grinned and shrugged.

"A bunch of nonsense, he's not even talking, he's just making sounds based on the Cyrillic alphabet." She added a few lines of another song, and Law watched in amazement as silver and gold notes solidified from her voice and formed a noose around Freyr's neck. The blond paid no mind and kept singing, he and Shachi dancing in circles.

"How'd you do that?" Sel asked, his blue hair catching the moonlight as he walked over to the rails and relaxed. "The voice thing?"

Sumiko stifled a yawn behind her hand and nodded to Freyr, who had stopped singing. "Carpathians are gifted singers due to the rituals we perform. We have to have voices that supposedly can reach the Fade, our version of Heaven, or Dhund, our version of Hell." She turned to Sel. "We can use chants that aid us in battle or for simple tasks like healing."

"That's really cool!" Sel cried with a grin.

Sumiko shrugged, "I don't like it."

"Why?" Law asked.

Freyr yelled from across the deck, "Cuz she can't control the decibel output, and she'll kill you!" he cackled. Sumiko turned and pegged her cousin with a glare that had him take a few steps back.

"I can so!" she scoffed. "I usually just don't, is all."

"If you can get her to stop fucking around, her voice is actually kind of nice, it's not amazing like Shri's, but it's decent." Sumiko flipped him off and snarled in her unknown language, causing Freyr to laugh and shake his head.

Hours passed into the night, and nearly everyone (save Law, Sel and Freyr) was fast asleep. Kaz was on the floor in the galley, a bottle of vodka in his hand, Sumiko fit into one of the large circular window panes and had her forehead against the cool glass, while Bepo, Jean-Bart, Shachi and Penguin were in their actual rooms.

Freyr was deep in thought and Sel was drawing on a piece of paper while Law leaned against the wall in a chair, tipping it on its back legs. Eventually Sel left to go to bed, and Freyr put his head on the table with a loud_ thunk_. Law gave him a weird look and asked what his problem was, to which Freyr just sighed.

"Debating on things."

"Such as…?" Law prompted.

Freyr smirked devilishly, "Not sure if I should tell you, because I'd rather not incur the wrath of Sumiko. She's scary."

"She's really not." Law amended.

Freyr shook his head. "No, you don't understand, boss. She has a new ability. Her only ability. Her fire powers are gone, and replaced with your worst nightmare."

Law straightened. "Show me."

Freyr blinked and seemed a little concerned. "Look, this is all on _you_. If she finds out, and gets mad-"

"Then I'll take the blame."

Freyr nodded and then turned to face his captain, placing his hands over the sides of Law's head. The other man cleared his thoughts like the last time he'd seen Sumiko's memories, but just before anything could happen, the submarine shook, and there was a loud _boom_ from outside. Law and Freyr were out of the room like it had caught fire, and all of the others were running to see what was happening outside. Suddenly, voices could be heard and Sumiko screamed, the sound immediately followed by male laughter.

Shachi gasped as they exited the sub's interior, "What are the Marines doing here?!"

Freyr watched in horror as a group of soldiers aimed their guns at the sub, and he saw Sumiko, whose face had drained of all color, dip into the shadows as a man went to the front of the ship, and Law glared at Sakazuki Akainu.

The other man watched as Sumiko hid, and he smiled with an almost lewd expression that had white hot anger flare inside of Law. He and Freyr blocked the Vice Admiral's view of the woman, and he scoffed.

"I am here to make an announcement," the man said. "Gekko Moriah has passed on, and the government wishes for you, Trafalgar law, to become a new Warlord of the sea."

Law had _not_ been expecting this, and he was silent for a moment. He felt Sumiko lean against him and shake her head, and he heard her voice, soft as a whisper, "Make him go away." Her voice cracked. "_Please_," Freyr's hair had changed color as Akainu came onto the Shi no Gekai, an official looking document in his hand, branded with the Marine and Navy insignia.

Akainu was mere feet from them, and he held out the document. "I was told you received one of these by carrier eagle. Would you mind showing it to me?"

Law had no idea what was going on, but if it meant getting the man away faster, he was willing to anything. He nodded and Freyr shielded Sumiko further, Bepo moving in to take Law's position as the man walked into the sub.

It all happened very fast then.

Akainu stepped around to face Sumiko, whose pupils were so wide they almost consumed her irises, and Freyr snarled viciously, his fangs punching into his mouth. He didn't move, and he didn't want to attack the man unless he absolutely had to.

Law came back out, a sheet of paper in his hand.

Akainu smirked, and eyed Sumiko's body. She felt cold, undiluted terror flood her veins as memories of the man raping her came at her in a rush, and suddenly, a blast of energy came out of her and the soldiers suddenly opened fire.

As the blast came out of Sumiko's body, Freyr and Law were slammed into the ship, heads snapping back against the metal. Law's eyes shut against the burst of pain, and he was dimly aware of a huge presence taking Sumiko's place. There were sounds of more gunshots, screams, and a deafening roar. Law blinked and his eyes focused.

_Holy…shit._

It was the tattoo come to life: a dragon-like creature with iridescent purple and navy scales. The thing had a slashing tail with barbs and long black claws with a snow white tuft of hair on its head that ran in a pike to its neck like a Mohawk. Law couldn't see its face, but the sounds it was making were horrifying.

More roaring, more gunshots, a scream and the crunch of metal were all that could be heard.

The beast had launched over to Akainu's ship and was making quick work of the soldiers, tearing the men to pieces and chomping great chunks of metal and wood from the warship.

Akainu stood there in shock.

Freyr yell, "Sumiko, stop!" Next to Freyr, a figured materialized out of thin air, and the male talked fast, yelling at Freyr and then pointing at the beast, his violet eyes flashing with anger.

More soldiers ran onto the deck and opened fire, causing the beast to lunge at them, its sail knocking some overboard and stabbing others with the spikes. The fighting lasted maybe five minutes before turning to face the Heart crew. "_Hide, now!"_ Freyr screamed, and the crew dispersed, some running inside, others moving towards the crow's nest. Law had melded into the shadows behind the sub's open door, and he watched the fray. He hoped the beast wouldn't notice him, and if it had, that it would remember who he was.

The door shut, and Law made eye contact.

"Oh, _shit._ Boss, run, I'll distract her!" Freyr cried. "Vyce, back off!" he yelled to the other Carpathian, who was inching towards the dragon.

The dragon snarled as Akainu moved and it snapped its jaws.

Freyr cursed at the creature, "Stop it!"

The dragon stood on its hind legs, mouth open, revealing dagger-like fangs and a menacing hiss came from it. Without preamble, the thing charged at Akainu.

Law shot to his feet, "Sumiko! Don't!"

His voice froze everything like a tableau: Akainu holding up magma covers arms, the dragon preparing to lunge, Vyce and Freyr sidling up to him. All four of them looked at Law for a second before refocusing on each other.

Vyce started talking rapidly in what Law recognized at Brazilian-Portuguese, and the dragon huffed, making towards Akainu, who stood his ground and taunted the beast. Law glared at them all.

"Will you two get out of here!" he hissed as Freyr and Vyce circled the animal. "Someone's about to get hurt and you're just pissing it off!"

"Boss, we need to get you out of the way," Freyr's tone was that awful _let's-be-reasonable_ one that was usually spoken by women.

Law waved him off, "It won't hurt me, but it's about to tear those two apart." He motioned to Akainu and Vyce, who had suddenly sprouted black see-through membranous wings and a tail with a barb at the tip.

No one was listening.

Law sighed and took a few steps forward, "Back the fuck off!"

_That_ got their attention.

Freyr and Vyce turned and the beast swung in Law's direction, white eyes glowing. It took a few steps forward until it and Law were only five or so feet apart.

"Hey," Law murmured, speaking softly so he didn't spook it into attacking. "It's me. You know who I am, right?" The great dragon's head shook up and down like a horse's and its massive body swung a little towards him.

Akainu stopped and watched the scene unfold, and he saw that Freyr and Vyce were watching him, prepared to attack at any time. The dragon seemed ready to pounce as well, because it eyed him over its shoulder.

"No, leave the military moron alone." Law said quietly, and he stepped closer, but Akainu suddenly charged, and the best whirled around, its tail slamming into Law and Vyce, knocking the two men down.

The slaughter was absolute; Akainu had fled in a small boat attached to the battleship (no doubt to tell HQ what had just happened), but all of his soldiers were gone. They had all been consumed, clothes and all, and their blood ran down the beast's chest in a river that shone in the moonlight.

Law shifted onto his stomach and started to lift himself up when he saw that the beast had army crawled over to him and was watching intently. "You are scary as hell up close, you really are." He said. He reached out one hand and touched the beast's head, and to his surprise, the creature let out a low, rhythmic purr.

The beast was beautiful, like a cobra was, he thought. Its ugliness overshadowed by powerful muscles and a predatory intelligence you had to respect. He stroked its snout and was surprised at how warm the skin was.

"Let's have Sumiko back, shall we?"

The beast let out a keening wail and there was a flash of light that momentarily blinded the trio, and when it faded, Sumiko was on the floor, naked, glistening with sweat and blood; her body shivering like a newborn in the cold.

Vyce moved first and took his shirt off, pulling it over her body and buttoning it to her throat. She whimpered in pain, and Law's eyes flared as he caught sight of her stomach: it was horribly distended; almost as if she were pregnant. Vyce started whispering to her and Freyr sighed, looking at the ruined Marine ship next to the sub. Law watched Sumiko and he frowned as he watched how Vyce dealt with her. Sumiko had curled into his hold, and was shaking violently while Vyce spoke in an almost sing-song pattern.

_She's mine._ He thought.

Sumiko's eyes opened, and she looked up at Vyce with a weak smile, and the male kissed her forehead, handing her off to Freyr before vanishing into the air, telling him something in a grim voice. Law twitched. Who the hell was that guy? Obviously Freyr and Sumiko were close with him…

_Is he family, or…_

A sudden flare of panic shot through Law and he frowned. Oh, hell, no. He totally couldn't handle her being around another man like that. _Mine._

Well, shit.

As he watched Freyr walk towards him with Sumiko in his arms and traded her off to him, Law looked down into her pain filled eyes and tilted his head ever-so-slightly, his previous hurricane of emotions striking him with sudden clarity.

_I'm in love,_ he thought. _I've fallen in love._


	2. Weak is our mind

The Marine battleship had to be sunk to erase evidence, and Shachi had gone on a rant that the others would notice that the marines were missing after a while. Kaz merely laughed and said they'd worry about that when the time came, and Freyr suggested he do a mass mind wipe and scrub everyone's memories of their existence.

"That would probably be a good idea," Law murmured. "But I agree with Kaz."

From the medical bay behind him, Sumiko let out a small sob and Sel frowned with concern, watching as the girl clutched her stomach and writhed. The brunette was sweating and her cheeks were flushed while the rest of her face was tinged with gray; she was deathly pale and Freyr explained that the burn on reentry was always a bitch.

Law turned to the blond and Freyr tilted his head. "What's wrong?"

"Who was that other Carpathian who came?"

Freyr blinked and opened his mouth to speak, but shut it. "Uh…he's…ah…" Law had a sinking feeling and he was about to say he didn't want to know when Sumiko's voice suddenly got their attention, and Law turned to look at her.

"His name is Vyce," she groaned, twisting to look Law in the eyes. "He's my bodyguard. He follows me everywhere, has to. We've known each other since we were small, and he's like my best friend, I guess. He appeared because he felt the energy when I shifted."

Law accepted the explanation, but he still felt a tad uneasy. He'd seen the look in the other man's eyes when Vyce looked at Sumiko. There was devotion and love there, maybe because they were close, and he was her protector, but Law had felt a spark of anger that he couldn't explain.

He sighed heavily as he thought about the two of them.

_Welcome to the wonderful world of jealousy. For price of admission you get a splitting headache, unreasonable amounts of anger and frustration, an inferiority complex, plus an irresistible urge to commit murder. _

_Yay._

As if sensing his thoughts, Freyr smiled widely, fangs glinting. "They aren't together, you know."

Law frowned. "Why would it bother me if they were?" Freyr, Kaz, Shachi and Sel snorted and laughed. 

"Oh, _please_." Kaz smirked and nodded at Sumiko, who had fallen asleep. "Deny it all you want, son, but you _have_ feelings for her, and you know it."

Sel grinned devilishly and his curls bounced as he nodded in agreement, "Yeah, boss. You _like_ her."

"I think it goes beyond just liking her." Shachi added. Law glared at his crew and he turned away, walking out of the room, and ordering them to follow him so Sumiko could rest.

A few hours had gone by, and the sun had started to rise in the east, but it was still very early. Sumiko's eyes opened, and she winced as she sat up. She'd finally digested the humans that her other side had eaten, but she felt like her body was made of lead. Her body was sore, and her throat burned like hell. It was dry, and her hands started shaking.

She needed to feed.

"Freyr?" she called in a weak voice, stepping out of the medical theater and into the darkened corridor. A small smile flirted with her mouth as she saw that Freyr, Law and _Vyce_? were sleeping just outside of the room. Freyr was sprawled on his back, snoring softly, Vyce was actually awake, and was looking out of one of the windows, not having noticed her; and Trafalgar Law was leaning against the wall, forehead on one knee, hands around his leg.

"Vyce," Sumiko stepped into the hallway, and the male turned towards her, standing immediately to see that she was alright. Law woke next, opening his eyes when she spoke.

"Are you feeling better?" Vyce asked, and Sumiko nodded, tugging at the shirt she wore.

"I want my clothes." She pouted a little and Vyce willed a different outfit onto her skin. A loose backless cotton tee and denim pants. Vyce argued that the tattoo needed to breathe when Sumiko demanded a regular shirt, but she gave up, smiling and turning to where Freyr was lying, still asleep. Law recognized the look in her eyes. _She's either about to do something mean or childish. Probably both._ He smirked at the thought, but was mildly surprised when she dropped the blanket from around her body and laid it over her cousin with a smile.

Sumiko said something to Vyce, who frowned instantly, but gave a begrudging nod and he leaned down to lift Freyr up with ease. As the two vanished into the dark hallway, Sumiko turned quiet and Law stood, cracking his shoulders from being stiff for so long. Sumiko turned into the medical bay and Law followed, looking at the tattoo on her back. He could have sworn it was smiling at him.

God, he was crazy. He really was.

Sumiko shut the door and leaned against it. She looked tense, despite the smiles from earlier, and the hours of sleep she'd gotten. "After all that…are you finally afraid of me?"

"No." There was no hesitation on his answer.

"You're not afraid of it?"

He repeated his answer, and pushed Sumiko towards the bed where she landed on her side, but she visibly relaxed and glared the wall. After a heartbeat, Law went to her, sitting next to her and he eyed the artful marking on her skin. He touched the arm of the dragon and saw Sumiko's forearm twitch and she flinched away.

_She doesn't want me anywhere near the tattoo._ He thought.

"Roll over," he said. "Onto your stomach."

When she shook her head, he pushed at her shoulders. "Roll over dammit. Come on, Sumiko."

She complied with no grace whatsoever, cursing and flopping onto her belly with a silent snarl and Law promptly ran his palm down her spine, right over the dragon.

Sumiko's muscles contracted in random order. No, not random. They were the parts of the body that corresponded with where he was touching the tattoo.

_How extraordinary._

Law continued moving his fingertips and palm against the design, and every now and then Sumiko would make a sound that was a sort of growl/purr, like she couldn't decide whether she was mad or in a good mood anymore. After a minute or two, Law stopped and simply stared at the tattoo and Sumiko sat up, turning away and looking into his eyes.

"Why did you think I would be afraid?" he asked in a normal tone. Sumiko's eyes flicked to his and she gave a halfhearted shrug.

"Last person who saw the change has nothing to do with me anymore." She seemed annoyed and a little hurt. "I just assumed if a Carpathian saw it and reacted that way, then a human would-"

"How long have we known each other?"

A smile lifted the corner of her mouth. "Years and years."

"You have random mood swings that occasionally make me worry for my safety; you could turn the world on its Axis if you and Freyr teamed up together." He looked her in the eye. "Any sane person would have long since denounced you as a monster and would leave you alone for the rest of your life, but I'm still here, aren't I?"

Sumiko gave a slight nod.

"Why would the tattoo change my opinion?" he smirked. "I have no intention of going anywhere." And putting words to action, Law shifted off of the gurney and proceeded to kiss the ever-living shit out of her.

The growl that percolated from the doorway was the countdown to an ass-kicking if Law ever heard one, and both he and Sumiko (who seemed a tad dazed) turned towards the other side of the room where Vyce stood; fangs bared and hands cranked into claws.

He lunged.

It took all of 10 seconds for Freyr to appear and crank the other male into a submission hold, and Law noticed that Sumiko had moved towards Vyce, her hands in front of her, palms out. Vyce was growling like a mastiff, and his fangs were about as long.

"V, honey, it's okay." She said slowly.

As Vyce's eyes locked onto his, Law felt like snarling right back at him and if Vyce wanted to fight, then he could fucking bring it. Freyr was laughing suddenly, and Law saw that Vyce had relaxed completely, and Sumiko had cupped the other Carpathian's face and was whispering to him, effectively calming the dark haired male down enough to keep him from attacking.

Vyce stared at Sumiko, his eyes mournful and confused. The brunette smiled and as Vyce opened his mouth, she slipped the muzzle that Freyr held around Vyce's face and tied it. The object shifted a little, almost like he were an infant sucking a pacifier, and Law wondered briefly if there were something he were gnawing on the inside.

Sumiko smiled a little and Freyr laughed, "No, you can't kill him," she said and after a pause she shook her head. "Because he's my-"

"Mate." Law's voice had taken on a different tone than was normal, and both Freyr and Sumiko raised their eyebrows. Vyce's eyebrows crashed down and he hissed savagely, to which law actually stepped closer, glaring. Vyce seemed a little surprised and he stopped growling, hands going behind his back and his eyes widening as the other man got closer.

Sumiko and Freyr seemed shocked as well.

"What?" Law asked after realizing that the trio was staring at him.

Sumiko's mouth formed a perfect little O and she leaned forward a little, just an inch or two away from his chest. She inhaled deeply and then started to talk rapidly in what she called the Old Language, while Freyr seemed troubled.

"Hey, boss?" he asked, and Law kept his eyes on Vyce, who's own set of peepers were wide with shock.

"What."

"We need to talk."

Sumiko nodded, "Like, _now._"

It was nearly an hour later that Freyr had gotten Law by himself in the man's office, the door locked, and Sumiko out on the deck with Vyce, who'd evidently gone ballistic and started screaming and raving about God knows what, and when Sumiko had moved between Law and the other Carpathian, Vyce had shoved her out of the way and into the wall.

Without even realizing he did it, Trafalgar Law had tackled Vyce to the floor and clamped his hands around the other man's throat so fast, that Law didn't even feel his feet move.

"Don't you _ever_ put your hands on Sumiko. _Ever_." He'd snarled.

There was a mad scramble behind him, no doubt Freyr and Sumiko trying to break the two up, but the two Carpathians had stopped short as Vyce put the kibosh on any rescue attempt. In fact, the male was smirking, and an evil glint had taken place in his eyes. Law loosened his hold, but didn't get up, even as Vyce's hands gripped his wrists hard enough to bend the bones. After a few seconds of death glares, the two released each other and Law followed Freyr down the hallway, while Sumiko scolded Vyce.

"What did you want to say?" Law asked once they were alone.

Freyr was pacing furiously, his hands wringing together, and his eyes blinking rapidly. He seemed on the verge of speech, but then he'd clam up. Finally he stopped.

"Do you remember any weird stories from your childhood? Any family legends, especially from Europe? Like a female who got pinched at night, or a pregnancy out of the blue? Maybe a woman who disappeared and came back with a child?"

Law blinked. Actually, for the first twelve years of his life, there hadn't been a lot of lore passed along. His mother was busy raising three kids and working as a nurse while his father was MIA. "I don't know anything."

Freyr nodded and then turned to meet his captain's eyes. "Well, boss, here's the deal; I wanna see if there's any of us in you."

What the hell? "Any of what in me?"

"That linebacker move you pulled with Vyce and the fact that you started throwing off a bonding scent around Sumiko isn't normal, even for humans, as far as the tackling thing goes. The way you reacted about Sumiko being close to Vyce? God knows you're aggressive enough to be Carpathian; who knows."

Something clicked in Law's head and he frowned. "And what if you do find something?"

Sumiko's voice came from the doorway. "Then we might…" she smiled weakly, but her eyes held a grim truth. "We might be able to turn you."

"You wouldn't want for me to be turned, would you?" he asked. Sumiko shook her head.

"You could die."

"You didn't."

"I was lucky. There's a 50/50 chance of death, unless you're from certain bloodlines." Freyr gasped and jumped up and down for a minute, grinning.

"I have an idea!" he whisper-yelled. "I'll go back home, grab the bloodline ledgers and go through them, see if we can find anything. Hey, what nationality are you, by the way?"

Law looked away from Sumiko. "French."

Sumiko grinned. "French? Really?"

Law smirked. "Oui, je suis français. Je le dis, l'écrire, lire, et a vécu à Paris pendant douze ans."

Sumiko positively beamed. "I seriously could not be more in love with you right now."

Law rolled his eyes and looked at Freyr. "So when does this go down?"

"Whenever you want, boss."

Law met Sumiko's mismatched eyes and smirked. "Go. Now."

Freyr nodded and vanished with a pop.


	3. Far away, beyond the sky

Snow fell from the iron gray sky of Moldoveni, Romania. Freyr looked over the crest of the Carpathian Mountains and down at the small towns whose lights flickered in the distance. Above him, hidden in the cliffs, the Dubrinsky castle stood. It was _huge_, and covered almost 4,000 acres of land. It was combination of Windsor castle in England, and both St. Basil's and Notre Dame Cathedral in Russia and France. There were spiraling towers, high walls, and colorful bulbous spires, at least 20 draw bridges on the surrounding gateway arches, and gardens that held everything from dandelions to _Passiflora Incarnata. _

A sudden thunderous boom had Freyr whip around and he saw smoke and the glow of fire coming from the west. He vanished and landed a few feet from a normally quaint stone cottage that now had a large gaping hole in the side where the kitchen was.

"Katya?!" he raced over the snow and through the house, weaving through furniture and heading for the ruined kitchen, where he saw a woman with long black hair standing in front of what used to be a 4-chambered oven. She was covered in purple goo and flour, and was scowling.

"Oh, Freyr." She smiled, her silver eyes glinting. "Hello, my love."

Freyr watched as his mate wiped some of the stuff from her face and she smiled again. "I was just trying to fix the oven when the heating coil melted and it blew up." She sighed. "Guess I'll have to try again."

Freyr pulled his female away from the blaze, "For heaven's sake, baby, you blew a hole the size of Shri's tour bus in the side of our house. Now you stay where I can keep an eye on you while _I_ fix it."

He seemed to suddenly remember why he was even in Romania and he swore. "Shit, I can't. Dammit." He looked at Katya, who tilted her head. "Look, I have to get some documents and do an ancestor regression on someone."

Katya pouted. "But-"

"I'm sorry, _lyubov moya_, but I have to help someone." He kissed her on the mouth, did a little nuzzling and then he got on his knees in front of her and kissed the small bump on her stomach. "You be good for mommy, you hear me?" he stood up and kissed her once more before taking her to the castle and leaving her in the care of his brother, Dominic.

After running about the castle and digging through the various documents that covered the floor to ceiling shelves in the archive room in the basement, he cried out in triumph and dematerialized back to the submarine.

Vyce was stalking the dark hallways of the Shi no Gekai, his thoughts reaching out to the emotional grids on the ship. The cook was hyped up about dinner, the polar bear was taking a nap and fantasizing about girl polar bears, Sumiko was singing a song in her head, and that human surgeon that Vyce had dubbed the Goateed Hater was overlooking the papers he got about something called a Shichibukai.

Vyce glared at the wall. It wasn't that he _hated_ the man, per se; he just didn't find the idea of Sumiko mating a human all that appealing. Suddenly, a wicked idea formed into his head and he turned on his heel to where Law's office was.

Trafalgar Law looked up from the documents in his hands as the door to his office creaked open a few inches. There was nothing there so the raven haired man shrugged it off and kept reading the papers. Suddenly, Sumiko was at the door, a dark scowl on her face. Her eyes had changed color again, this time a deep purple.

"Where's Vyce?"

Law got over the momentary sticker shock of her sudden appearance and he shrugged, causing her to growl and turn out of the room. Dimly, he heard yelling from the galley and he followed Sumiko, grateful for the distraction.

Plus, when the cursing reached his ears, he became much more interested in the current situation than the Shichibukai upgrade. They walked into the kitchen and Law noticed that there were four men that he'd never seen before standing in the center, and Vyce was off to the side, smirking.

The moment Sumiko came into the room, she went off.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE PLAYING AT, BRINGING THEM HERE, YOU IDIOT?!" Vyce seemed stunned for a second as the petite Carpathian yelled at him. One of the males, a dark skinned man with bright green eyes, lip piercings and long black hair sauntered forward, saying something in Italian and then the Old Language.

Sumiko didn't care, obviously, because the male quickly backed off and she turned back to Vyce. "I am the Queen of our race. You know, the bitch you can put your ass on hiatus?'

Vyce nodded. "I am aware."

"Then why are _they _here?!"

"Because I brought them."

Everyone who was in the room (Shachi, Bepo, Law, Penguin, and Kaz) along with the strangers, looked over to where Freyr stood. The bastard was smiling, and this seemed to piss Sumiko off more. "Easy, _challa_, stop being so mean." he said. "S'all good. Just wanna check somethin' out, and they wanted to see you anyways. S'not like I could say no."

He held a thick, leather-bound book in his hand, the pages of which were yellow and tattered. There was a large, Old English style T surrounded by thorny curlicues done in gold. Sumiko seemed nonplussed and she snatched the volume away, and turning to face the dark skinned Carpathian again.

"I want you, Darién, Shiohn, Danté and Yaya to go back home. That's an order." She turned towards the shortest male of the group, and the blue haired man smirked, crossing his arms over his chest and lowering his violet stare to her eyes.

"I can go home on my own, _printessa_." Yashael's voice was low and husky, and there was a subtle energy coming from him.

"Yaya, you know that compulsion doesn't work on me."

Yaya nodded and smirked again, turning away to face Vyce. "I know, but I thought I'd give it a shot." He pat Vyce on the head and smiled. "Later, little brother."

One by one the males left, but not after more teasing and a bit of Thom Foolery of Freyr's part. Vyce and Sumiko were irritated, and Law was wondering what the hell he'd gotten himself into by asking Sumiko to join his crew all those years ago.

"How many family members do you have?" he asked, and Sumiko blinked. She scrunched her face a little and counted off on her fingers, muttering names under her breath. Freyr was also counting, and they'd correct each-other.

Finally, Sumiko spoke. "I am the fourth born of eight, and my father had six siblings, all of whom have had no less than four kids each. His oldest sister, Freyr's mother, she had three, while Vyce's mama had fourteen, and is currently expecting."

Law blinked this time. How the hell did a woman have fourteen children and then get pregnant again? He had a sudden flashback to his childhood, when his mother was pregnant with his younger brother, Silas. Law had been six, and his younger sister had been four. He remembered the hardships his mother had gone through raising three children as a single parent, and frowned, wondering where his father had run off to.

When he snapped out of his thoughts, Freyr was going on about "legacies", which apparently were the amount of children a Carpathian was destined to have. Freyr was supposed to have only one, but wanted more, Vyce didn't carry a legacy and could father as many as he wanted, and Sumiko carried her father's legacy for four.

"Well, three, now." Freyr said, tilting his head.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about Adriana." Vyce nodded.

"Who's Adriana?" Shachi asked. Sel and Penguin seemed equally confused.

"Oh!" Freyr smiled. "She's Sumiko's two-year-old daughter."

Total. Silence.


	4. Screaming in the wild

In the silence that followed the statement, Law suddenly remembered a strange dream he'd had, not soon after Freyr and Sumiko had returned from their two-year absence. He rarely had dreams, even as a child; and this one had been so vivid that when he woke up his eyes had been glassier than usual when a person woke from sleep, and he felt a shock of _something_ that he couldn't explain.

_It wasn't that he didn't want to be with her on some level, it was just…they were two totally different species, and besides, weren't there some kind of regulations for whom a member of royal families could end up with?_

_Shaking his head of the thought, he'd moved from his desk and out of his personal quarters to the room he knew Sumiko was in. As he knocked, the contact was soft, not his usual bang-bang-bang. There was no answer so he tried again._

_Turning the knob, barely an inch, he whispered into the darkness. "Sumiko? Are you awake?"_

_No reply…and the lack of sound suggested that the woman wasn't even the room. Law frowned, wondering where the hell she could be, and he caught sight of Freyr at the end of the hallway. Calling out to the blond he asked where Sumiko was and Freyr said she was scolding Vyce somewhere. Vyce had taken residence in one of the PT suites _

_Walking down the steps and through the twisting corridors of the submarine, he eventually arrived at the medical amphitheater. The eleven rooms were all open except two, one that held Kaz, who'd been so drunk he'd blacked out and was attached to an oxygen tank, and other belonging to Vyce, and Law figured that Vyce was getting yelled at, and the thought made him smirk. He wasn't very fond of the other Carpathian. _

_A small childish impulse had Law lean close to the closed door, in hopes of hearing what Sumiko was most likely raging about to Vyce. Over the constant "whiff-whiff" of the oxygen leads on Kaz, his hearing picked up another, softer noise. He frowned, until he realized what he was listening too. Only one thing made that kind of rhythmic…_

_Staggering back from the door, Law hit one of the shelves stocked with medical supplies. He blindly walked somewhere, anywhere. Eventually he found himself in the galley, and looked over his shoulder at the floor he'd been walking on. _

_No trail of his blood. Which, considering the way his chest was hurting, was a major surprise to him. Because it sure as shit felt that he'd been shot in the heart. _

Law snapped himself out of his reverie, and looked at the shocked expression on Sumiko's face, which quickly morphed into horror.

_Oh, god. _

Sumiko pivoted around and slammed her fist into the side of Freyr's head, knocking the blond flat on his ass. "You _idiot_! Don't go sayin' shit like that! You think you're funny, but you're gonna end up startin' shit and cause problems you rat bastard!"

Freyr blinked, and rubbed his head. "Sor-ree."

Sumiko wheeled around and faced Law, looking him dead in the eye. "I have _no_ children. None. Adriana is the child of a dear friend who I occasionally take care of, and she calls me mama sometimes when she's being cute. Freyr is a fucktwit and needs to mind his own fucking business."

For some reason, all of the tension vanished. Law knew that Sumiko didn't have children, because the odds of her getting involved in the physics of procreation were slim to none and also because the only way she'd ever have children were if they were _his_.

Wait, _what_?

_What the hell am I thinking?_ Law blinked and his eyebrows crashed down. He really needed a good night sleep. And a vacation.

Suddenly he smirked. "Hey."

Everyone grew quiet and looked at their captain with expressions of curiosity. Law smirked and leaned back against the wall. "We're leaving tomorrow. Port Llaffan, we're going there." Without another word he walked off to his quarters, and Freyr asked Kaz what Law was talking about.

Kaz had a strange gleam in his eyes. "It's his home. Where he grew up. Where his family lives."

Roughly 16 hours later everyone was awake and milling about the sub, preparing for the journey to Port Llaffan. It would take nearly a week, and Kaz was bitching about the food, and Sel didn't want to be on sentry duty for that long. Freyr suggested that he, Vyce and Sumiko just teleport everyone there, and at first, Vyce wouldn't agree at all, but after a few words in the Old Language from Sumiko (who was still very pissed off at Freyr for his earlier comments about her bearing a child), the younger Carpathian relented.

Shachi and Penguin were practically vibrating with excitement as the others gathered a few essentials and made their way to where the supernatural trio stood. Vyce was staring off into space, while Freyr was clutching his side. Kaz roared with laughter and Sumiko merely shrugged indifferently. Kaz explained that she'd punch Freyr in the kidney, and swore at his viciously.

Sel walked into the galley, pulling a short-sleeved shirt over his hair. "Sencho said that Port Llaffan is really hot this time of year, so dress light." Freyr and Sumiko willed new clothes onto their skin. A black button down and khaki's for Freyr, and shorts and a t-shirt for Sumiko. Both kept their flats on.

Finally, Law came sauntering around the corner and Sumiko's jaw hit the floor. His usually attire of a yellow and black hoodie donning his Jolly Roger was replaced with a black tank-top and a normal pair of denim jeans, with his usual boots. Sumiko's eyes positively devoured his frame, and Freyr snickered to himself, finding the reaction both cute and amusing.

A wave of dark spices, like a mix of cinnamon and pine, flooded the room and Vyce swung his head around so fast his neck cracked. Freyr burst out laughing, and the others started at the trio in confusion.

"What's that smell?" Kaz asked, looking around, as though it were caused by food.

Sumiko instantly smothered her bonding instincts, and averted her eyes from law, who had glanced at her. Her hormones were going insane, which was weird as fuck because until roughly 10 seconds ago, she didn't know she possessed them. But the urge to totally claim Law as her mate was so strong that she actually took a few steps forward, her fangs shooting into her mouth. She wanted her bonding scent all over him, so other females of her race would know he was taken. She wanted on his skin, in his hair, on his clothes.

She wanted _him_.

Everyone gathered together and grabbed onto Vyce, Sumiko or Freyr, and was teleported away.


	5. The light is in the air

The sunshine was bright enough to momentarily blind everyone, and once the group had gotten over the face that their retina's had been fried, they took in the sight of Port Llaffan. It was a quaint seaside village, with cobblestone paths, and cottages. Small fisherman boats were tied to the docks, and a few children played merrily in the tide pools nearby. Everyone seemed happy, and like overall good people. Vyce and Sumiko exchanged glances, knowing that things didn't always appear to be what they seemed.

"As you may be aware, we are now in France. The _Côte d'Azur."_Law sighed deeply and ran a tattooed hand through his hair, and he seemed almost…shy. "This," his voice dropped an octave. "Is where I grew up."

Sumiko smiled a little, and then she released the tension from her muscles. She's been wary of coming here, for some odd reason. The instant they touched down, a dark chill crept up her spine and stayed there. Sumiko had just opened her mouth to ask what they were going to do when Law suddenly jerked to the side, and he swore.

There was a girl attached to him, arms around his waist. Sumiko didn't even feel her feet move as she stalked towards the pair until Freyr grabbed her back. She was growling; a low menacing snarl escaping her lips as the unknown female started talking.

"Law! I can't believe it, you're back! How long are you staying this time?"

The girl turned and looked at the others when Law made a motion towards them. She had dark, wavy auburn hair and hazel eyes with circles under them just like Law had. She was small and curvy, but not enough to be considered heavy. She was much shorter than Law, her head coming to his shoulder while Sumiko came up to his chin.

Law pulled away from the girl and looked at Sumiko. "This is Ian. My sister."

All the rage left Sumiko instantly and she smiled. "Hello, Ian. My name is Sumiko, this is Freyr, my cousin, and that's Vyce, my other cous-Vyce? What's wrong?" Vyce was standing stock still beside Freyr, his lips parted, eyes wide with shock. When Sumiko said his name louder, he snapped out of his reverie.

Holy shit…this human girl was the hottest thing he'd ever seen. And he'd cozied up to a lightning bolt once or twice. _She's mine. _He thought.

Law noticed the expression and his eyebrows crashed down. "No. _No_. Absolutely not. Don't you fucking think about it, Vyce."

Vyce held up his hands in surrender. "Sure, whatever." _Like I'm going to actually listen. He won't be able to do a damn thing once I claim her._

Ian smiled and turned to looked ay her brother, "So how did you meet?"

Law shook his head. "Before you explode with questions, I would like to go home."

"Bien sûr!" she grinned. "Mama will be so happy to see you! So will Jezebel!"

Sumiko quirked an eyebrow. _Who the fuck is Jezebel?_

Law smirked as he saw the question in her eyes, "My mother's friend." Sumiko shrugged and kept walking along the path after the others.

There were an old set of steps leading up a hill, and at the top, the view was breathtaking. The ocean was a deep cerulean, with sparkles from the noonday sun flashing across the water's surface. Across the way stood a rocky cliff with a large lighthouse on top. The light changed colors on every revolution, going through all seven tones of the rainbow, which Sumiko found very whimsical and pretty.

Eventually the path ended and down below the hill, nestled in a little valley surrounded by wildflowers, rose bushes and sunflowers, was a two story cottage. The stones were black, sparkling obsidian, and the roof was made of slate. It was a lovely house, and Sumiko entertained herself with images of a five or six year old Law running around. She giggled to herself.

_This is going to be so much fun._


	6. Welcome back

Sumiko was in awe of all of the different flowers growing around the cottage. She inhaled the scent of Queen-Anne's Lace and hibiscus, and sighed in delight as the malty sweetness of honeysuckle passed by in the warm breeze. It suddenly made her ache for the garden she had back home, the one he grandmother had made, and her mother had tended to when she was a child.

"Here we are!" Ian chirped. The girl's soft lavender sundress fluttered in the wind, and Vyce's eyes locked onto her body as she opened the door and walked inside. "Maman! We have visitors!"

"Bring them in, ma petite." Came a voice from farther inside the house.

Law walked ahead of Freyr and followed his sister while Sumiko fell back. Vyce looked around at the photographs that covered a majority of the walls. The furniture was rustic, classy. It was homey, comforting. Sumiko leaned over her cousin's shoulder and eyed a picture in a large silver frame. There was young woman inside, with wavy hair, holding a baby, and behind her stood a dark haired man.

_Law's father?_ She wondered. Beside it was another one, smaller, but well taken care of. There was Law, around five years old, and Ian, roughly three, both looking into a crib inside of which lay a sleeping newborn. "Law and Ian greet Silas" it read. Sumiko smiled. There were others, of Ian and Law as they grew up, playing outside, Law with a scalpel in his hand, a dead frog in the other, one with Ian wearing a dress that obviously belonged to their mother. Sumiko smiled and walked after the object of her affection as he entered the kitchen.

"Maman," his tone was soft, and there was a slight lilt to his voice now, the French accent breaking through. Sumiko grinned. Nothing was more attractive than a man with an accent.

The woman at the stove was lovely as she turned around. She had waist length wavy auburn hair, and the same iron gray eyes that Sumiko had fallen in love with. She was tall and slender, and looked as though she were in her early thirties, although she had to be at least forty-something, given that Law was twenty-two.

"Oh, _Mon Dieu_! Law, _ma __Chéri!__" she threw her arms around her son and kissed the side of his face, tears in her eyes. "Why didn't you say you were coming back?"_

_Law gave a one-shouldered shrug and (Sumiko bit the inside of her cheek to keep from squealing at the cuteness) hugged his mother back. "Spur of the moment." He turned to face the three Carpathians. "These are my crewmates." (Vyce snorted, and Sumiko glared at him.)_

_Sumiko curtsied, while Freyr and Vyce bowed. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, ma'am." _

_Law smirked, "Obviously, this is my mother. Her name is Madeline." _

_Ian bounced on her heels, "Mama, is lunch ready? Je suis tellement faim!" _

_Law rolled his eyes, "You're always hungry." _

_Madeline smiled warmly, "Oui, oui, ma petite." She turned to the others. "There is plenty of food if you wish to join us." _

_Freyr nodded, and Sumiko smiled politely. Vyce remained silent, eyes tracking Ian's movements as though she'd vanish if he looked away. Law noticed the way the shorter male was watching his sister, and he pulled Sumiko side. _

_"If he touches her, even accidentally, I will eviscerate the bastard." _

_Sumiko grinned. "Good luck with that, __nallum__." _

_Vyce looked over at the two, eyebrow raised. He was surprised Sumiko had used that term of endearment. __Nallum__…beloved. Sumiko had fully bonded to the other man, and oddly, Vyce didn't care anymore. The only that mattered now was the small, smiling, redhead standing next to her mother. _

_It was well into late afternoon when Law decided to stay the night. Though he didn't want to admit it out loud, he did miss his family. Sumiko roomed with Ian, Freyr with law, and Vyce stalked the house like the half-bat freak that he was. Vyce slept maybe four hours a day, six if he was exhausted. _

_He stayed in the hallway entrance, blocking access to Ian, Law, and their mother's bedrooms. He had his daggers strapped to his chest, and his Glock in his hand, ready to defend his princess and his mate, even though Ian wasn't exactly his yet. _

_After they had dinner, Madeline ushered them into the sitting room, and begged for them to tell her about themselves, and how they liked her son. (Sumiko's face turned a lovely shade of pink when asked if she liked Law and if working under him was enjoyable). Freyr asked for stories about Law as a child, which nearly resulted in a fight because Law said that Freyr needed to "mind his own fucking business", to which Madeline scolded, "I didn't raise you to speak like that, especially in front of women." Vyce found it hilarious, and snickered to himself, causing Ian to laugh as well. _

_The sweet chime of her laughter speared Vyce straight through the heart, and he wanted nothing more in that moment than to pull her into his arms and kiss her until she couldn't breathe. But the thought dissipated as Law glared at him. _

_After a while, the grandfather clock struck one o'clock, and Madeline gasped in surprise. "It's so late! Okay, off to bed, you lot. Tomorrow we can resume our conversations." Respectfully, everyone bid goodnight to each-other, and went to bed._

_Perhaps tomorrow would be better than today! _


	7. Ooh, lookit all the blood!

Sumiko woke up screaming. Luckily, Ian had a small light on in her room, so Sumiko had at least half a chance at convincing her brain that she was indeed _not_ back in the Lubrum Lux Dolor, and that she was safe in France, where nothing could hurt her.

Sumiko clapped a hand over her mouth, praying that she'd shut up in time before she woke the whole house. Ian jumped, and looked at Sumiko, worried.

"I'm okay…" Sumiko answered, finding her voice. "Just a bad-"

_Law, Freyr and Vyce burst into the room, the latter two with weapons raised, Law with a __room__ cyclone around his hand. _

_"Everything alright in here?" Freyr asked. _

_Nope. Not even close. _

_Sumiko cleared her throat and looked at her cousin. "Ah, dream. Very bad dream." The knowledge in Law's eyes made her turn her gaze away from him. She hated that he knew, it drove her crazy. _

_After reassurances that everything was fine, everyone went back to bed, save Law, who stayed in with the two girls. Ian demanded it, and Sumiko felt safer when she was around him. She settled back into one of the plush chairs that she'd curled up in as Law leaned into the other, and just as she allowed the inky void of sleep to take her, she could have sword she felt something stroking her hair. _

_Sunlight leaked through the lacy curtains and burned a hole through Law's eyelids. He lifted them and instantly wished he hadn't. He glared at the morning sun, and swore softly as he rubbed his eyes, frowning at the flashes of green, orange and purple he saw. _

_He noticed that Ian's bed was empty and made up, and that Sumiko was gone too, and as he stepped out into the hallway, he heard the happy chatter of breakfast. As he walked down the hall, his hat was suddenly knocked off, and he wheeled around, eyes going up onto the banister that line the ceiling. _

_"__You__." He growled. "Evil, malignant __fucker__." _

_The Main Coon cat lay on the banister, tail flicking, claws out, rolling his hat around. It looked at him, almost challenging him to do something. With an evil smirk, Law held up a hand. "__Room.__"_

_The screech that followed had Ian lean out of the kitchen, and she frowned severely at the disembodied cat. "What are you doing to him?" she cried, walking out towards her brother. Law twisted his wrist, and the pieces of the cat rearranged themselves, and the animal dropped, streaking off into the living room with a savage hiss. _

_Law smirked, "He took my hat, so I got it back." _

_Ian frowned. "Leave Pierre alone!" he pouted. _

_"His name isn't 'Pierre', it's 'Satan'." He walked into the kitchen and sat beside Sumiko, who was sipping a cup of coffee. Freyr was helping his mother cook, and Vyce was watching his sister. Again. _

_"Now, now," Madeline said, setting a plate of pastries down, and a flagon of OJ down. "He's not so bad."_

_Law twitched and jerked his sleeve up, showing everyone his mangled forearm. There were telltale scar, thick and silvery. "Not so bad? I need thirteen stitches because of that little monster." He put his sleeve down again. _

_Ian smiled, "You were the one who tried to operate on him." _

_"I was nine. "_

_Madeline smiled as she sat down, "And you had your powers for how long?"_

_"Three years?"_

_Madeline nodded. "You had just turned six when you ate the Devil Fruit, found it in the field outside the village. Said it was pretty, and thought it looked good, so you ate it."_

_"It was blue and pink, I thought it looked appetizing. It was vile."_

_"You learned your lesson didn't you?"_

_Law shrugged and grabbed a cup of coffee. "I'm not sure."_

_Halfway through the meal of honey-cakes, juice, and almond fougasse, the house shook. Not a mere tremor, like a door slamming shut too hard, but a resolute 'boom' from outside caused china to fall from the cupboards and shatter onto the floor. Pictures fell from the wall, and outside, people could be heard screaming. _

_Law and the others took off, running out of the house and up the hill to see what was happening. Freyr gasped in horror and Sumiko simply stared in shock. _

_Flames raged over the village. Boats were sinking, people were running around in fear, hollering for loved ones, and at the center of it all stood Sakazuki Akainu. A twisted smirk on his face. _

Law turned to Ian. "Back in the house, _now._ Hide in the basement, lock the doors, and go get the gun from my room. It's under the floorboard with the blood stains on it. It's loaded, just take the safety off." Ian nodded, eyes wide with worry, but she did as she was told, running off and grabbing their mother. Without a word, Vyce followed, but Law didn't object. If Vyce and Ian were mates, then Vyce would ensure her safety above all else.

Law watched as Sumiko and Freyr tore down the hill, daggers out. Fear seemed to have been replaced by rage in her case, and she slammed her body into one of the soldiers, plowing him into the ground. Her fist slammed into his temple, hard, and knocked him out. Freyr was summoning walls of ice to immobilize the fuckers, but Akainu melted it with lava. Sumiko dematerialized, charging at the bastard, dagger held high. But of course, she faltered, a lick of fear going through her, and he caught her in his arms. He took her weapon, and ran the cool metal down her cheek, and she felt blood well up and fall.

Something wet trailed over the wound and Sumiko shuddered in disgust as Akainu licked the blood off her face. "Tastes as good as I remember." He looked up. "Stop _right_ there. Anyone takes another step and I slice her throat open." He pressed the tip of the blade against her pulse.

Law went still, and Freyr stopped a few inches behind him. As Law watched Sumiko get carried back a few feet, trapped against Akainu, every cell in his body was lit up. He was going to rectify this situation in as violent and fast a manner as possible.

Maybe a little bloodier and quicker than that.

He felt Freyr press a gun into his hand, but shit, where was he going to shoot? The Vice-Admiral was using Sumiko as a living shield! He felt a blast of icy air flow over the village, and his breath came out in clouds. Freyr's eyes were glowing blue, pupiless. Ice had begun creeping over the ground, stemming the lava a bit, and Law looked at Sumiko.

Blink.

Chaos. Fire. Death.

Blink.

Blood, screaming, and the love of his life locked in the arms of a psychopath.

Blink.

A gun went off.

The explosion next to Law's ear shocked him firmly back into reality, and he lunged forward as if he could catch the bullet. Vyce was calling out and Sumiko tilted her head down just in time. The slug caught Akainu in the face, blowing off his eye, nose, and a chunk of shoulder. As he dropped Sumiko, he'd swung his good arm and caught her in the gut, the dagger slicing deep.

Sumiko bolted and Law grabbed her, but she shook her head. "I'm fine, it's a scratch."

The sound of laughter refocused their attention, and Akainu stood, weakened but still alive. He was grinning widely, the unholy remains of his face lit up with a crazy-ass smile.

"Trafalgar Law, ha ha ha, I fucked her you know." The breath he took was ragged but satisfied. "I fucked her hard and she liked it."

White rage tore through Law, and the dagger in his hand came up a little as the man came towards them, laughing sadistically.

"I never wanted it!" Sumiko screamed. "Never!"

"Liar." Akainu sneered. "Filthy liar. That's all you are and ever will be. Filthy and mine-"

Everything slowed down then, Sumiko's tears, Law's breathing, and the warped laughter of the maniac before them.

"I fucked her, ha ha ha."

With a slashing arm, Law slammed the dagger right into Akainu's groin, and the man dropped with a howl of pain. Law took one of Sumiko's bloodied hands and put the pistol into it, helping her aim. If it was the last thing he ever did, he would help her get closure.

And now was the time.

Her mismatched stare burned with hatred as she took over from there, dropping the gun and going for the sleek black knife at her waist, and a sudden surge of energy had her lifting her arms over Akainu's sternum.

The fucker knew what was coming though, and blocked the blow by covering his chest. But Law was on it, using his ability to separate arms from body, and exposing the part she needed to hit. As their eyes met, there was a sheen of tears in her eyes, making her irises glow, and Law nodded. Her arms shot down, and sunk the blade hilt-deep into Akainu's chest, straight through his heart.

And that was it. The light of light faded from his eyes, and his body sagged, lifeless against the ground.

Sumiko gasped, tears falling harder, tracking through the blood on her face, and she whimpered. "Oh, God. He's dead…Law…he'd dead." He held her to him as she sobbed in relief. It was the end of the nightmare, and Law nodded. He watched as Freyr and Vyce came up, the former grinning, the latter with a soft smile.

Sumiko looked up and smiled weakly, "Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you…"

That was the best praise he'd ever received. He'd done right by her, he'd given her the closure she needed to ward off the horror of her past, and it was over. Law pulled her up, and brushed the hair from her eyes, checking the various cuts on her face. She opened her mouth, closed it, and stared at the body on the ground. With a frown, she stomped over, and grabbed her dagger, kicking at every inch of skin she could, slamming the heel of her boot into the bloody remnants of his anatomy. She swore in the Old language, and Freyr burst out laughing, Vyce following suit.

Law chuckled. "And there's the reason I fell in love with you."

Sumiko stopped on a dime, foot raised over Akainu's ruined face, "What?"

Law blinked once. Twice. A third time. "I said nothing. Absolutely nothing."

Sumiko grinned, fangs flashing in her laughter. "Yeah well, I love you too, ya know."

Law smirked and the four of them proceeded to destroy Akainu's corpse.


	8. Well THAT escalated quickly

Freyr brutalized the mashed remains of Akainu, while Vyce stood watching. Sumiko was dancing in circles, giggling madly; the evil had been destroyed. However, as Law watched the trio of Carpathians celebrate in the victory, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. Akainu was a powerful foe, and it seemed odd that he'd been felled by a simple blow to the head and chest. Whitebeard had suffered far worse before he finally died, so it almost seemed too easy that the Vice-Admiral had been killed.

Something was wrong.

_Maybe I'm over thinking things,_ he thought with a frown. _But how did the Marines know we were even here?_

At that moment, Ian came charging up the hill and the girl seemed really troubled. Her hands were wringing together, and she had a thin sheen of tears in her eyes. "No one iscoming to help us," she said in a sad tone. "No one belives that we were attacked! The next town can't see the fires, or smell the smoke. It's like this didn't even happen!"

Sumiko and Freyr stopped their shenanagins and Vyce walked over where Ian stood. He felt suddenly murderous that she was sad. No male worth their salt ever allowed their female to be sad. A Carpathian's sole mission in life was to ensure the health and happiness of their mate, and at the moment, he was failing.

Law looked around, eyes going from the burning buildings, to the corpse on the ground, to the sinking fish boats in the harbor. With a deeper frown, he walked over to a burning door and put his hand right in the flames. Sumiko went all bug-eyed and Vyce's eyesbrows shot up.

"It's not hot." Law said slowly. "It doesn't hurt at all." He looked closer at the flames, and that was when he saw it; a blur at the edge of the flames, the ground was warped, almost as though it were a hologram. It sparkled a little, and then all at once, everything disappeared.

"Well, well, well…" the voice was high and cracked, a shrill tone that made Law's hair stand on end. The flames were gone, the destruction was gone. Everything was as it had been the day before. People milled around like nothing was happening, like no one even noticed them.

A man was walking towards them, cloaked in an olive green tunic with a hood, so that his features were hidden from view. He laughed as Sumiko and the others got closer together, as though preparing to fight.

The figure stopped in front of Akainu, and nudged the body. "You were right in your assumption that something was wrong with how easy the battle was. The man was indeed weakened. I've been feeding from him without his knowledge, so his body had grown weaker while mine grew stronger." He turned to face them, still covered by the hood.

"Who are you?" Law asked. "Why did you come here?"

The figure pointed to Sumiko, who bared her fangs. "I came here to kill her. She is the only one who can ruin my plans, and she must be removed from this life."

Law casually stepped in front of the girl. "That doesn't answer my first question."

"Ah," the figure nodded. "You're right, my apologies."

He lowered the hood, revealing a young, handsome face with gold eyes and white hair. He looked directly at Law and Sumiko stifled a cry of shock.

"_Daddy_?"


	9. The cat must die

(Warning: This chapter will have a slightly…less-than-graphic, but still naughty scene in it. Don't like it, then scroll past it when ya get to it. It's not sex, per se, but…eh.)

After the fiasco with the girls' father, their memories, save Vyce's, had been wiped of the whole ordeal. They had no memory of the battle and death of Akainu, or of Vladimir Dubrinsky making a sudden appearance. Vyce didn't want to speak of the matter, fearing that it would cause even more problems. The king had promised to keep the peace for now, but who knew what the hell that meant. Vyce wasn't fully convinced that the man even _was_ Sumiko's father.

Abruptly, said girl left the room, and walked up the stairs to where Law was, though Vyce wasn't sure what the other man was doing. No one remembered anything. But maybe, (Vyce looked at Ian, and she smiled at him), that was good.

Sumiko walked down the hallway, eyes on the floor. Her feet instantly took her towards Law without her even having to think about it. She looked at the wine glass in her hand, and the dark red liquid within. With a heavy sigh, she turned and stepped into the room that had been Law's as a child. It was simple. Bed. Desk. Bookshelves. Closet. And a surgical table in the corner. Sumiko smirked, imaging Law when he was younger, experimenting on some hapless creature, and reading the thick texts long into the night.

She walked over to the raven haired man, who was flipping through a (Sumiko blinked in surprise) photo album. He was absolutely engrossed in the pictures, and his expression would change every now and then. A smirk, a roll of the eyes, vague disgust, sorrow…

"What'cha looking at?'

Law turned and looked at her, giving a slight shrug. "Just a few pictures," he scratched the back of his head and leaned against the wall. "I'm exhausted…"

Sumiko smiled and held out the wineglass. "Here, this'll perk you up."

Law frowned. "I don't drink wine."

Sumiko put it in his hand. "Try it."

Law sniffed at the wine, and took a sip. "Not bad. A little thick, but it isnt horrible." He took another sip and swirled the contents around. "Is this a Merlot?"

"Not really."

He tilted his head back and swallowed some more. It was strong, burning its way down his throat and into his stomach, making him a little light-headed, which made him wonder if he was coming down with something, or if he just needed to eat. As he drank the last bit, he frowned. Sumiko was watching him far too closely.

"Sumiko?" he set the glass down. "What is it?"

Sumiko smiled. "Nothin's wrong, _nallum_. Everything's fine." She ran her gloved hand through her hair, and then the other, sighing. That was when Law caught sight of the mark on her wrist. There was a fresh cut, deep. One that had been recently made.

Law looked at the wine glass and a horrible suspicion carried his eyes to Sumiko's wrist. "Jesus…Christ. Sumiko, what did you do?" He shot to his feet as the first spasm overtook his stomach. "Oh, fuck…_Sumiko_."

He ran for the balcony to throw up, but he didn't make it that far. As soon as he opened the door, Sumiko tackled him from behind, taking them to the floor. When he started to gag, Sumiko flipped him onto his back and pressed the heel of her palm against his chin, keeping his mouth shut.

"Don't fight it," she said roughly. "Keep it down. You need to keep it down."

Law's stomach heaved and he choked on the shit that shot up into his throat. Panicked, nauseated, unable to breathe, e shoved against the smaller body that straddled his own and managed to knock Sumiko to the floor. But before he could get free, Sumiko grabbed him from behind and forced his jaw shut again.

"Keep…it…down…" Sumiko groaned as they struggled, and Law twisted as one of her legs trapped his, but the mve worked; he couldn't move. But he fought anyway.

Suddenly the sparks of nausea intensified until he thought he was going to pass out. There was an explosion of pain in his gut, and the pain morphed into an odd tingling, that shifted into a hum. He fell still, all of the fight leaving him as he absorbed the sensations.

(Insert naughty-ish part, reader beware.)

Sumiko's hold eased up and she moved away, sitting on her knees and leaning over a bit. "That's it, just breathe through it. You're doing fine."

The hum was rising now, turning into something like sex, but not really. No, it definitely wasn't erotic, but his body didn't know the difference. He got hard, and itt was as though steel had been injected into his cock, his body suddenly raging with heat. \He arched, a light moan coming out of him.

"Don't fight it," Sumiko whispered, trying not to spook him from what was happening. "Let it happen."

Law's hips swiveled of their own accord and he moaned again. He was as hot as the center of the sun, his skin hypersensitive, his vision gone. And then the pain in his stomach shifted to his heart. In a flash, his viens lit up, fire scroching through his whole body as though they were filled with gasoline instead of blood, a network of heat that grew hotter and hotter.

Sweat beaded over his skin as his body twitched and he threw his head back with a groan of pain that made his vision blacken even more. "I'm going…to die…"

Sumiko's voice was right there with him, a guiding light against the dark inferno. "stay with me, _nallum_, just keep breathing. This isn't going to last long."

Just when Law thought he couldn't handle the raging heat for a second longer, an eighteen-wheeler orgasm over took him, and he screwed his eyes shut against the sharp burst of pleasure that blew the top of his cock off. Sumiko went away somewhere, her footsteps dimming and then returning a moment later.

Then it was over.

Sumiko's mismatched gaze was the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes, and then she placed a cold washrag on his forehead, mumbling something in the Old Language. She had a small, worried smile on her face.

"I'm sorry."

Law blinked, and rubbed his face with the cool cloth. "May I inquire as to why you did that?" Sumiko bit her lower lip and tilted her head back and forth.

"Not really sure of the _why_, exactly, but I had, like, a vision or some shit. Just a few seconds of something. I saw that I was supposed to give you my blood, and I don't know why."

Law sat up, shuddering slightly. "Next time, I'd rather choose." He smirked. "And I'm still not a wine person."

Sumiko laughed. "Whatever you say."

Law started to stand when a grayish white blur knocked him back onto the floor. Pierre, Ian's cat, hat taken hold of his hat again, and ran off, Law swearing violently before tearing off after the animal, chucking a rather heavy looking medical dictionary down the hall, where a loud hiss was heard.

Sumiko grinned. She fucking loved him.


	10. The Heart's Filthy Lesson

Ian shrieked as Pierre slashed at her leg in a panicked frenzy to get away from Law, who now had a baseball bat in his hand, stalking after the feline with a sadistic leer in his eyes. Sumiko followed, concerned for the animal, while Freyr watched from his chair.

"Don't hurt him!" Ian pleaded, and she grabbed Law's arm, trying to snatch the bat away. The cat ran into the kitchen and out the back door, which Law slammed shut. Madeline stood watching at the stove, a cup of coffee in her hands. She shook her head at her son, and simply sighed.

"Chérie, don't antagonize the cat, please. You're upsetting your sister."

Law glared at Pierre, who sat in the flower beds outside the window, cleaning himself. Law wanted nothing more than to run out there and punt the mangy bastard into the ocean, weakness to the sea be damned. But he relented and walked off.

Vyce stood at the doorway, and Sumiko came up next to him, smiling. She looked at Ian, who was going outside with paint and a canvas, her sundress fluttering.

"She's your lifemate, isn't she." Vyce nodded.

"She won't understand." He said softly, and Sumiko notcied the slightly pained look in his eyes. Vyce had been the loner of his family, despite having nearly twenty-plus siblings, most of whom who happily mated and had families of their own. But Vyce had yet to make a connection with someone, and now that he had, he was terrified.

"Ona jest moja, a ja jestem w miłości." The words came from his mouth before he could stop them. _I love her, and it scares me. _Sumiko nodded. She totally understood.

Vyce sighed and watched as Ian made herself comfortable outside, surrounded by sunflowers. She had her paints spread out, and was preparing to create something on the large canvas. Turning away from his female, Vyce looked at Sumiko, and he made up his mind. He had to tell her what had happened with her father. She'd probably beat the hell out of him for it, but she had to know, especially considering that Law was being threatened.

"We need to talk." His gaze was hard, and Sumiko stopped smiling.

"Just show me." Vyce nodded and opened his mind to hers, pushing the memories of the other day into her head, so she could see what she didn't remember.

"_Daddy?" _

_The look of absolute horror on Sumiko's face mirrored their own as Freyr babbled incohenrently and Vyce just stared blankly. The figure laughed, a deep, warped laugh that chilled vyce to his very core. Sumiko whimpered, and Law pulled her back, blocking her view, while Freyr likewise guarded her. _

"_Silly girl, I bet you're so happy that the human is dead, aren't you?" he laughed again. "He was weak, I've been feeding from him for nearly three months, without him even knowing, which is why he was so easy to kill." _

"_Why? Why did you do this? I thought you were dead!" Sumiko cried. _

_The man met her gaze, and suddenly, he appearance shifted. He shrank, and his skin blackened, falling off in clumps until glistening bone was poking through the rotted flesh. The eyes were next, sinking back into the skull as his mouth filled with sharp black teeth. _

_Freyr positively sqealed at that point. "D-Demetrius?!" _

_The dark mage cackled. "Tis I, warrior. But you needn't worry, I am not here to harm anyone yet. I have much to do before I can," he looked at Law, and Sumiko noticed. "Hunt."_

_Demetrius smiled evilly, revealing rotted teeth. "The human male who have marked as your mate is not all he appears to be. He isn't completely human, and the secret bloodline he carries will one day father the child who can take me out, which I can not allow. Because of that, the human must die. But not yet, oh no, not until I have finished my plans."_

_He gave a deep bow to the group, and smirked. "I belive it is best you all forget this little encounter, shall we?"_

"_What about my father? Where is he?!"_

_Sumiko had stopped crying, her sorrow replaced by anger. Freyr was also annoyed, and Vyce was listening eagerly. _

_Demetrius turned to the girl, his shrivled features roaming over hers. "Oh, your father is very much alive, your Majesty, though his usefullness is fading fast. If I were you, I would go home, and gather your warriors, because a war is about to start. The likes of which the world has never seen." With that, the man was gone, dematerializing away to God knew where. _

Sumiko was in total shock. Her father was alive, and the Dark Mage was holding him captive? And why the flying fuck did he want to kill Law? Law was human, he had no supernatural bloodline, at least that she knew of. But she couldn't risk it.

The descision made her want to curl up and die. She'd left him once, for only two years, but if she had to do it again, she'd have to earase his memories of everything. Carpathians, magic, and her.

"What am I going to do?" she whispered.

For once, Vyce had no answer.


	11. Love Is Loss

(Note: This chapter contains sex. It's graphic, like a lot, so beware. Have fun. I also apologize if Law is a tad OOC.)

While Vyce discussed plans with Freyr on what they were going to do, Sumiko went off in search of Law. Oddly, the man wasn't in the house. His mother had no idea where he was, but Ian suggested she go find Silas, who stayed down in the sunflower field on the outskirts of the village.

Off Sumiko went.

It was nearing twilight, the sun setting off over the ocean, and the dusky pink and purple sky falling over the earth. Stars glittered here and there, and Sumiko allowed herself a moment of peace as she walked through the massive field, where sunflowers topped nearly seven feet, with various other plants clinging to their stalks. Pink, white, purple, striped flowers, and Cypress trees dotted the area, and fireflies sparkled in the air.

Sumiko pinpointed Law somehwere to the east, and she followed his heartbeat until she came to a small clearing. The older pirate was standing in front of a grave, marked with a smoky quarts headstone that read "Trafalgar Silas, beloved son and brother, and angel in the sky".

"How did he die?"

Law didn't look at her, and instead leaned down to place a small bouquet of Aloe, Anemone, Asphodel, tied together with Crypress leaves. Sumiko wasn't a genius, as far as math, sciences and other things went, but she knew more about insects and plants than anyone she'd ever met, and each of those flowers symbolized love, grief, and regret for the fallen.

"He was only eleven when he died, this rare sickness that I can't even pronounce because saying it pisses me off. It's why I got into medicine, so I could find a cure, but sadism hit me in my early teens and I became the Surgeon of Death."

Sumiko didn't say anything, because nothing she said would help; words didn't bring the dead back to life, she knew that firsthand. Instead, she walked off down the path she'd come from, and after searching for a few minutes, she returned with a small pink flower, one of which she placed on the grave, the other behind Law's ear.

Eglantine roses, flowers that were meant to heal wounds.

"You know why I'm here, don't you." She didn't need to ask, she saw the answer in his eyes. "You over heard what Vyce and I talked about."

"Earasing all of my memories about your world and all of you? Yes, I may have heard a little of that." There was a thick silence, only the crickets making noise. The soft wind, the ocean waves.

"I won't remember anything?" he asked after a minute. Sumiko was staring at the other flower she had picked, and she twirled the white bud betweeen her fingers, inhaling its scent.

"Nothing?" Law prompted.

"From what I understand, you might get feelings once in a while that are triggered by an object, sound or a scent, but you won't be able to place them." She looked up at the sky, where the sky had darkened even more. "You're more likely to have vague dreams, because your mind is so strong, even for a human."

"What about the past eight years?"

"I'm going to create memories and implant them into your brain to replace them." When she didn't say anything furthur, Law looked at her. She was standing with her arms around herself, eyes shimmering in the fading sunlight.

"Not once in my entire life did I think about relationships, love, or anything like that, because I had seen it destroy my mother, and my family. Then, you come out of nowhere, and turn my world upside down." His voice was hard, and Sumiko looked at him.

"What's bothering you?"

She had barely gotten the question out when his mouth met hers, and Sumiko's mind went blissfully blank. After a few seconds, they separated. "_That_. That's what's 'bothering' me." He said. "I can't think straight when you're around. You look at me, brush past me, and my mind goes off on certain tangents I'd rather not specify out loud." Sumiko couldn't help but grin, and Law resisted the urge to roll his eyes. She was so immature sometimes…but this was a serious matter, and was so not the time for joking.

He lifted her chin and met her eyes. "Before you erase my memories, will you do me a favor?"

"Anything."

Her tone was so sincere that Law was silent for a moment. He gathered his thought, weighing the pros and cons in his mind, but evetually the guy part of his brain ruled out over the cynical, scientific part. "I want you to fully claim me as your mate, however the hell that works, I don't even care. Just-" he met her eyes again. "Make me yours."

Sumiko's brain had shut down for a moment, but in the same instant, the full Carpathian side of her came to life, and her bonding instincts took over, that cinnamon/pine scent flaring to life and that was it. Their mouths were together, and her hands went into his hair. In the back of her mind, there was a blur of fear, but another sensation, one she'd never felt before, beat the ever-living shit out of it and took hold.

She pulled away, breathless. "Wanna see a magic trick?"

Law blinked, and his eyes flared as his jacket and shirt suddenly vanished.

"We can will clothes on and off, cool, right?"

"And useful." But he wasn't going to rely on her little abilities, but lost his train of thought as her mouth went to his neck, fangs trailing right over his vein, scraping gently, but not hurting. She was purring almost, a light rumble in her chest, and she kissed him again with a sigh.

_If I had known this is what it felt like, I would have jumped him years ago,_ Sumiko thought. They were in the grass, and his hand was doing something that made her thoughts just blip out of existence. She was naked from the waist down because the beast, her tattoo was alive, and her shirt kept it in, due to the fact that Freyr had enchanted it when she'd gained her new power.

"Spodnie," she swore, realizing Law didn't understand the Old Language, but he got the gist when she tugged sharply at his jeans. They were gone in an instant, and the essential part of his anatomy that defined him as male replaced his hand, and that was it. A brief jolt of pain, an unpleasant burning, and then something else hit her hard.

Their mouths fused as he moved inside of her, capturing her gasp of pained delight. The dragging sensation sent sparks of electricity through her bloodstream, and she arched, her head going back, exposing her neck in a lovely arc.

Law's eyes latched onto her throat and the strangest impulse went through him; he wanted to bite her. And his mouth opened as if he were prepared to do that. Her hips rocked sharply as he thrusted deeper, and she tossed her head to the side.

"What's happening to me?" she arched again, moaning. Law smirked and moved a little faster. He kissed a path from her mouth to her ear and whispered to her.

"You're about to come." Her nails dug into his arms, drawing blood, and her hips tilted sharply.

"I can't…I can't…" she shook her head back and forth, trapped between what her body wanted and what her mind was having trouble assimilating, and she was going to lose the momentum if he didn't do something fast. Without even thinking or knowing why it would help, he nuzzled her throat and bit her right over her jugular.

That was what did it.

His name left her mouth, echoing out into the night, as her body shattered from the force of her orgasm, blinding her. She was shocking out, and he suddenly remembered her saying something a few days ago about needing to feed, but Vyce couldn't since he'd bonded to Ian. She was exhausted from the sex and natural lack of blood in her system. Her fangs had come out, and Law used her momentary weakness to roll them over so she was on top. He fisted her hair and brought her close to his neck.

"_Bite_!" he growled.

Holy fuck, did she ever.

He felt a searing pain on the right side of his throat and his body jerked, causing more blood to flow. Sumiko took deep, dragging pulls from his vein and white-hot pleasure swamped Law until he literally couldn't for a single thought.

His orgasm almost made him black out.

The sun had started to rise when he woke up. Sumiko was making a wreath of some sort with flowers, and as she walked in circles, she twitched; her walking awkward. He smirked and sat up, noting he was clothed again. His neck burned, and he touched the spot she'd fed from, but the marks had healed.

"Sumiko."

"Bwa?" she jumped, and turned around. Instantly her face reddened as he stood and walked over to her. He took the honeysuckle wreath from her hands and placed it on top of her head, the meaning of the flower striking him as ironic and perfect.

Devotion.

He looked into her emerald and sapphire eyes, and felt his heart skip a beat like it always did when he looked at her. "Love of my life, that's what you are. The darkness isn't ever coming to take me, because you'll be there, whether I know it or not."

Sumiko smiled. "I love you, and I'm going to love you even after you don't know I exist." Her gaze brightened and Law couldn't look away.

"Shit, you're going to do it aren't you? You're actually going to-"

Just like that, his mind went blank.


	12. Bad Law! Stabbing isn't nice!

After Sumiko had gone off to who knew where, Vyce decided to go check on Ian, and was momentarily alarmed when he didn't see her outside painting in the grass. Spinning on his heel he turned and charged out of the kitchen and into the living room, only to crash into someone and slamming them both into the wall.

Ian smiled weakly. "Sorry 'bout that, I wasn't watching where I was going."

Her voice, that low, soft, husky tone, shot straight to his heart and he just stared at the girl, lips parted in wonder. The skin under his hand was soft and warm, and he could hear the blood flowing through her veins (maybe it was his own pulse pounding in his ears) in her throat.

Vyce shivered, a balmy rush breaking out all over his skin. The musical lilt to her voice, the rhythm of her speech calmed him, comforted him.

He closed his eyes. "Say something else."

"What?" she asked, obviously confused.

"Talk. Talk to me. I want to hear your voice again."

Ian was silent and he was about to beg her to speak when she said, "You're pale, are you feeling alright?"

Vyce swayed. It wasn't the words that mattered, it was the tone. Low, soft, a quiet brushing against his ears. "More," he said, twisting his palm so he could feel the vibrations of speech against her throat.

"Could you please let go of me?"

"No." he got closer so she couldn't move. "Talk."

She started to struggle. "You're crowding me."

"I know, just keep talking."

"Oh, for God's sake, what do you want me to say?"

Even exasperated, her voice was beautiful.

"Anything."

"Fine. Get your hand off my throat and let me go or I'm going to knee you where it counts."

He laughed and then put his lower body against her, trapping her with his thighs and hips. She stiffened against him, but he got an ample feel of her. She was built lean, but he had no doubt she was a female.

Her breasts hit his chest, her hips cushioned his, her stomach was soft.

"Keep talking," he said in her ear. God, she smelled good. Clean. Fresh. Like lemon.

She pushed against him and he leaned his full weight into her. Her breath came out in a rush.

"Please," he murmured.

"Since you won't let me go, I have nothing to say."

He smiled, careful to keep his mouth closed. There was no sense showing off his fangs. "So say that."

"What?"

"Nothing. Say nothing. Over and over and over again. Do it."

She bristled, the scent of fear replaced by a sharp spice, like fresh, pungent mint from a garden. She was annoyed now.

"Fine. Nothing. Nothing." Suddenly, she laughed and the sound shot right through to his spine, burning him. "Nothing, nothing. No-thing. No-thing. Noooooothing. There, is that good enough for you? Will you let me go now?"

"No."

She fought against him so more, creating a delicious friction between their bodies.

And he knew the moment when her anxiety and irritation turned to something hot. He smelled her arousal, a lovely sweetening in the air. His body answered her call, his hips moving in a circle, rubbing against her.

He was hard as a diamond.

Her hands flattened on his waist and slowly slid around to his back, as if she were unsure why she was responding to him the way she was. He arched against her and felt her palms move up his spine.

Vyce growled low in his throat and dropped his head down so his ear was next to her mouth. He wanted to give her another word to say, something like luscious or whisper or strawberry.  
Hell, antidisestablishmentarianism would do it.

Ian tilited her head up and in that instant, his decision was made; his lips touched hers, and she responded slowly, adding pressure to the kiss when he stopped. His hands went to her waist, pulling her flush against his body, and Dearest Virgin Scribe, Ian _moaned_ into the kiss as he deepened it.

The effect she had on him was drug-like, a tantalizing combination of sexual need and profound ease. Like he was having an orgasm and falling into a peaceful sleep at the same time. It was like nothing he'd ever felt before. This human female was extraordinary... something special.

Something he had to have for himself.

When Law came to, he was standing next to his younger brother's grave, and Sumiko was standing a few feet away, a look of deep concentration on her face. He was shocked for a second, he was absolutely sure she was going to take his memories away, so why hadn't she? What had changed her mind?

"Sumiko," said brunette glanced at him and gave a sad smile.

"I couldn't do it." Her voice cracked and she laughed bitterly. "I should have done it, you'd be safer, but I _can't_. The thought of not being a memory to you kills me, and I will be damned if I leave you alone while Demetrius runs around plotting who the fuck knows what."

Law was silent, letting her rant, and his thoughts drifted off to earlier. There were impressions in the grass where they'd been laying down, and there were a few gouges in the soft soil from the more passionate moments, made from he himself or Sumiko, he wasn't sure. Didn't care.

It hadn't lasted long, but it conveyed anything and everything they had to say but couldn't voice. All of the mixed emotions: confusion, concern, love, and the traces of fear for their future.

The bonding ritual had gone down too. Half of the time, when she could speak, words that were neither the Old Language, nor any language Law could place came from her mouth in a rush, the beautiful words flowing in a sing-song pattern. As she spoke, law felt something inside of him connect to her, pulling them together in some way, bonding them.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel good about this. She was his and he was hers. Things were as they should be, and creepy old "Dark-Mage" man be damned with his prophecy. Law grabbed Sumiko by the arm and led her away from the grave and back to the house.

Freyr was grinning like a fucking psycho as the duo came inside. Law eyed him warily and Sumiko's cheeks flushed. She knew that her bonding scent was all over Law, and his was on her as well (though she still believed this to be a coincidence and that law was human, although her brain instantly countered the denial), so Vyce and Freyr knew _exactly_ what had gone down.

"So, where were you?" Vyce asked with a smirk.

Sumiko bit her lower lip. "Um…yeah…"

Madeline smiled at her son, a knowing smile on her face. She laughed softly and sat in a chair, watching with amused eyes. Ian came in behind Vyce, and she smiled at the man, her hand taking his and holding it.

Law blinked and watched as they two walked off towards Ian's room, and when the door shut, he actually growled. Sumiko laughed nervously and blocked the hallway entrance.

"Law, you can't. She's his mate."

Law met her eyes and frowned. "I don't care. That's my little sister, and despite the fact that she's twenty, she will never be old enough to 'um…yeah'. _Ever._"

Freyr and Sumiko ran after the man as he walked down the hallway, unsheathing his nodachi in the process.


	13. Trees Are Pretty

Night had fallen, and Madeline watched as her children (despite being grown up) slept on the floor. Ian was curled up on her side, while that Vyce lad lay beside her with a dagger in his hand, ready to defend her at a seconds' notice. The loud blond man was passed out in a chair, while Law was asleep on the thick soft rug. But the other girl, Sumiko, was nowhere to be seen. It was strange, she almost never left Law's side, and she was always there, in the background, watching him.

"Ma'am?" Madeline spun around and saw that Sumiko was standing on the other side of the living room, staring at the pictures hanging on the wall. She seemed a tad shaken, like perhaps she'd had a nightmare.

"If it wouldn't offend, may I inquire as to who fathered your son?" Sumiko's voice had changed, her natural accent breaking through, rolling her r's.

Madeline's face turned a lovely shade of pink, and her eyes went to the photographs with a sad fondness. She gazed down at her son, who was, for once, in a deep, peaceful sleep. He was positioned like he always was, even as a child; one hand on his stomach, under his shirt, the other up by his face, fingers curled into his hair. Madeline smiled, and then noticed that Sumiko was too, her eyes practically glowing with love.

"He looked at me with the same expression," Sumiko looked over at Madeline, who had crossed her arms around her stomach and leaned against the wall. "Like there was nothing else he could see."

"He _is_ all I see." Sumiko murmured, watching as law rolled onto his stomach and accidentally slammed his foot into Vyce's shin. The latter groaned and tightened his grip on his dagger, while the former sighed.

Sumiko examined the photos. "So this isn't Law's father?"

Madeline shook her head. "No, but Silas did have his eyes, which I always found odd…and Ian had his nose and dimples."

"He wasn't human was he?"

Madeline smiled knowingly. "Are you?"

"Absolutely not, my good lady." Sumiko grinned, revealing fangs. Madeline seemed nonplussed and she sighed.

"He wasn't human, but he also wasn't as you are, either. Yes, dear, I am very much aware of your race. When we were together, Law's father told me stories of non-mortals; of gods and goddesses, like Greek mythology, and also of beings who could harness the very elements." She laughed. "I always thought of it as humorous, I never dreamed it was real."

Sumiko patiently waited for more, dying to hear the name of Law's father, but not wanting to request information she had no right to know.

"But to answer your question, no, he was not human. His father is as you are, a Carpathian."

"I didn't want to believe it, but I _knew_. In the back of my mind, I fucking knew." Abruptly, she blushed, apologizing for her language, but Madeline smiled.

"He swore quite a bit too." She sighed heavily. "I miss him dearly, even after twenty-three years."

Sumiko cleared her throat. "How did he die?" Madeline hadn't said anything, but Sumiko knew, in her mind, that the man was no longer of this world.

"There was another woman, his sister, perhaps, who did not approve of our coupling. She arrived one night, a few months after Law was born, and demanded that my, our son, be taken and disposed of."

"Half-breeds are very rare, and those that are born are nearly as strong, if not stronger, than their pure-blooded parent." Madeline grew quiet, and went off into the realm of memories that older people are known for, she entertained herself with the last memory of Silas being alive, and she smiled as tears fogged her vision.

"_If she were a tree, what kind would she be?" Silas asked, his dark curls bouncing. He was grinning, demanding that Law explain who "Sumiko" was, and why no one knew his crew. Ian was painting a picture in the corner of the kitchen and Madeline was cooking fois gras and stew. _

"_A crab apple? She bears fruits, and she's cranky." Ian supplied. _

_Law thought of this answer and then shook his head. "No, she would be a telephone pole. Trees have too much body, and Sumiko is very skinny and petite, there's not much on her to define her as having 'body'."_

_Silas grinned at his brother. "How about a Dutch elm?"_

_Madeline smiled. "Those are lovely."_

_Law scoffed. "And a dead species! At least I only insulted her figure; you gave her a disease that will mottle her leaves."_

"_So is she real, or an actual tree?" Ian teased. Law rolled his eyes. _

"_How about you?" Silas asked as his mother set a steaming bowl of duck liver stew in front of him. Law grimaced and shook his head, while grabbing a few slices of almond fougasse. _

"_Oak."_

_Silas snorted. "Oh, please. That's a totally arboreal projection, brother. You're an oak, and assume everyone else is." He gulped down a few more spoonfuls of stew. _

"_Untrue. You brats are saplings." He turned to Ian. "I vote for poplar. Small, but sturdy." _

_Madeline smiled. "And when do we get to meet your new girlfriend?"_

_Law choked on his food. "What nonsense are you spouting?"_

_Madeline smiled wider, and Silas grinned, before coughing a few times. Ian seemed concerned, but the younger boy waved it off. _

"_I want to meet your crew one day, just to see what they're like." _

_Law popped another piece of cracker into his mouth. "Maybe one day you will." _

Madeline gazed at Sumiko, who was looking at Law again, smiling widely. It was funny, Madeline thought. She never saw her son as the kind who would have actual friends, the kind who cared for him, let alone _loved_ him. He'd been a quiet child and anti-social at times. She was very happy that had all changed, especially as Sumiko leaned down and started to mess with him, causing Law to grab her and drag her down to the floor and against his chest while telling her to be quiet and stop moving.

Madeline started to head to the kitchen, "His name was Manny. Manuel. He was from the Brazilian rainforest, which is why Law is more tan than Ian is."

Sumiko smiled, pressing a kiss to Law's throat. She had a new plan for the impending war, and Law was going to help her.


	14. Aish!

(This is Sumiko's family from my Quizilla page: polls/23415885/a-dark-past-a-welcome-future-sumikos-family-and-friends)

(This is Vyce: . /files/art/tatsuo_ )

(This is Madeline: image/answers/239000/239436_1304260112081_480_ )

Law awoke to the sound of hysterical laughter, followed by a loud 'thump', and more laughter, the volume of which increased into a shrill giggle that made him cringe. He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes and walking into the kitchen, where everyone had gathered around the table. His eyes flared.

Sumiko was at the stove, frying something, while Vyce chopped vegetables and Freyr sautéed what looked like steak medallions. It smelled amazing, but Law remembered the incident where Sumiko had almost burned her face while making eggs in the galley of the submarine.

"I thought I forbade you from cooking ever again?"

Sumiko grinned, not looking away from the frying pan. There were small, pancake like things inside, and she twisted the pan so fiercely that the dough swirled into a ball. Freyr said she did well, and to go faster, coaching her along. Finally, when the small roll-like food was deposited onto a platter, she coated them with honey and crushed walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts.

"Sfințișori," she said. "Usually made for special occasions, but I was craving them." She poured more batter into the pan, grabbed a handful of chopped onion, carrot and small slivers of meat. Freyr took over at that point, making an odd, bread-based omelet like dish that Ian was raving about.

"Il a l'air délicieux!" she cried, standing behind Vyce, who actually _smiled_. Law felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance, he hated that Vyce was with Ian, but knew it was hypocritical to say so because Vyce had been against Sumiko being with him.

"Why were you all laughing so much?" Sumiko snickered while Freyr chortled loudly. The blond man clapped his captain on the back and showed off his famous shit-eating grin.

"Your _mahmen_ here was just tellin' us some stories of you as a kid, boss."

Law face-vaulted. There was no expression at all. Slowly, he turned to meet his mother's smiling gaze. "Why." He seemed almost shocked, his face morphing into horror (for Law's exact facial expression, go here: . /tumblr_m4hvzvmEA61r0zt90o1_ ). Madeline merely smiled again and leaned back in a chair.

"Do you get off on making me miserable?"

"Oui, ma petite." She took a sip of water. "They asked, I answered."

This time he rounded on Sumiko (who gave him an innocent smirk) and Freyr (who grinned), "Stop it. That's a direct order."

Sumiko laughed. "Pfft. You and your silly orders. I'm not-" she stopped when law grabbed her chin and tilted her face up.

"Stop it. Or I will tell everyone about the egg incident."

Sumiko got quiet. "Yeah, okay."

Ian sat down with a plate of food. "Mama! Tell me about when Law was small, and got lost in the sunflower field." The murderous glare she received from her brother was ignored, and Madeline opened her mouth to speak.

_Madeline had been too busy with baby Ian to play with Law and the 4-year-old had gotten bored of being around his newborn sister and went outside to explore. It was a snowy day, rare for this area of France, but there was enough of the white stuff to make igloos and snowmen. The sunflower fields in the valley were glistening with ice, and as he pulled his coat and snow boots on, Law walked out of the house and into the cold. _

_It was the entire bunny's fault. Law had seen it at the edge of the meadow and went after it excitedly, like small children often did when confronted with an animal. But the rabbit had zigzagged through the maze of flowers and when it finally vanished, Law had no idea where he was. The path that he always followed, the one that his mother had dug up so he could explore, was gone, covered by the fresh snow. _

_He spun wildly, "Mama?" he called out, his voice echoing over the silent field. The boy whimpered for a moment, trying to find his way through the mess of footprints. He was getting scared; he didn't know where to go. It was snowing harder now, and the wind stung his face. _

"_Go that way,"_

_Law turned, and he looked up as a man with black hair stepped out of the flowers. He was tall, much taller than the four-year-old, and he was very tan for one who lived in Port Llaffan. He had a few scars on his massive biceps, and there were a few tribal tattoos on his skin as well. He smiled warmly, a dimple popping up on his left cheek._

"_Bet'cha yer ma is waiting, son. You better hurry." _

_Law tilted his head at the stranger, and then he scowled and marched off, arms swinging at his sides. Finally, he found his way back to the sunflowers, and he saw the warm glow of the house in the distance. "MAMA!" _

_Madeline leaned out of the back door as he came charging up the hill. _

"_Ah, ma petite, where were you?"_

_Law pointed to where the strange man had been, but noticed that he had vanished. As his mother picked him up and carried him inside, he thought he saw the same figure waving to him, before vanishing in an instant. _

Madeline smiled. "The one time you ever saw Manuel was then. He'd come to see how you were doing, and he ended up helping you get home."

Law scowled. "I don't remember."

_Is he…pouting?_ Sumiko wondered.

Ian grinned and then leaned forward, eager to hear more. "So what did his daddy look like?"

Sumiko sat upright. "Ooh! Ian, lemme to an experiment!"

Vyce's eyebrows crashed down. "No." he glared. "You are not regressing her! Do it on your male, I don't care, but you will _not-_"

"Vyce, shut up or I am benching your ass. That's an order as your Queen."

Ian's eyes sparkled and she turned her face up to Vyce, eyes begging. "Please? Let her do it…"

Vyce groaned, there was no way he could say no.

Sumiko smiled triumphantly and then nodded at Freyr. "How would you guys like to come home with us? See our family?"

Law sighed heavily. He really needed to stop enabling her.

"Pfft, like that's gonna happen." Sumiko giggled.


	15. Stay

Sumiko watched as Vyce tried to explain to Ian what a lifemate was and that when they returned from Romania, won the war, and kicked Demetrius's ass, that he would come back to France and claim her. Law was torn between being happy for his sibling, and wanting to tear Vyce's balls off and feed them to the younger man. Hell, maybe he'd do it anyway, just for shits and giggles.

He chuckled darkly at the thought and then opening snarled as Vyce kissed Ian. Sumiko tugged him back a little as he prepared to separate the two, and finally he just gave up. Trying to keep Vyce from Ian would be like trying to make water dry. It just wasn't happening. He sighed and crossed his arms, turning away from the spectacle.

Freyr was excited to return home, he was practically vibrating with excitement at the idea of seeing his own mate again. He hadn't seen Katya in so long, he was wondering if she was simply a figment of his imagination. He also missed his twin brother, Dominic. Vyce had tons of siblings and so did Sumiko, but they didn't talk about them very much, if at all.

Madeline didn't dawdle as she escorted them to the submarine (Law's crew had stalked them to the village and were awaiting his orders to leave) and wishing them well before starting their journey. Law frowned as his mother teared up and he actually groaned like a child when she threw her arms around him for the umpteenth time that morning.

"Woman, if you don't release me, I swear-" Madeline gave her son a motherly glare and popped him on the side of the head, which naturally caused the raven haired man shut up. He just stopped talking. Madeline rambled in French, and as her voice grew in volume, Ian began to giggle uncontrollably, and Vyce smirked.

Finally it came time to part ways, Vyce burst out laughing as they walked through the sunflower field towards the sub.

"I'll just stand here while you silently mourn the loss of your shattered dignity because your _mahmen_ put you in your place." he said, and then Freyr started to laugh. Sumiko bit her lower lip to stop herself from laughing and avoided the steely gaze of Law, who stalked forward.

Abruptly, Sumiko stopped. Her surrounding dissolved around her and she took a great shuddering breath as a flood of images slammed into her frontal lobe with enough force to make her eyes roll back into her skull.

_There was blood everywhere, her shirt was drenched, and the pain in her chest made the air freeze in her lungs. She was dying, that was all there was to it. She heard someone screaming...Vyce maybe? She didn't care, she only knew about the twisting pain that speared through her chest like a white-hot knife._

As law stepped forward, asking what was the matter, she drew a great shuddering gasp. It was a hidous hole-in-one; the nightmare she'd been suffering for the past two years had come to life. The gunshot made her snap back into reality, and she gaped in horror as the bullet burst through the man's chest, and slammed into her arm as it broke through between his shoulder-blades. She caught him as he fell, her own chest blazing with agony. Vyce gasped and then pivoted towards the offending attack, but when he saw what had happened, eveything slowed down...

Law was on the ground, blood rattling in his lungs as the hit took its toll.

"_No!_" she screamed.

The sequence played out in a series of seconds that lasted for what seemed like centuries: Vyce looking at her like she were crazy, Freyr running over the grass, and Ian's horrified expression as her brother collapsed. The figure who had fired the shot was a _lesser_, a de-souled human used by Demetrius to do his bidding. The being in particular was small, gangly, and pale, with straw colored hair and ice blue eyes. He smirked demonically, and bolted as Vyce took off after the slayer, snarling in rage.

Sumiko was dimly aware of the chaos as Freyr and Vyce tore the assailant apart, but she didn't care, she was too busy fretting over her nightmare: blood on her shirt, and death coming, but not for her...for Law.

"Two minutes," Law groaned, blood, bright and scarlet, bubbling out of his mouth. "Got less than two...minutes..." He must have been hit in an artery and knew it.

Sumiko whimpered, "Nallum," her tone was so soft it was almost inaudible. "I'm going to go-"

Law grabbed her arm, shaking his head. "Stay." he gasped in pain and closed his eyes tightly. "Not going to make it."

"Fuck that!"

"Sumiko," his eyes were glassy, the light of life fading fast. "Stay here."

"You're going to be fine!" she motioned for Vyce, who was running back to them. "V can heal you!"

"_Miko._ Can't fix this." he blinked and arched his head back. "Oh _fuck_-" Another gasp, and blood spread faster than ever, coloring his shirt a deep maroon. "This-shit!" he met her eyes for a second. "Love-"

"No!'

"...you."

"_No!_"

Just like that, Trafalgar Law was dead.


End file.
